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A US Predator unmanned drone armed with a missile stands on the tarmac of Kandahar military airport on June 13, 2010.

Biden’s New Counterterrorism Policy Guidance Further Entrenches the Forever War

Biden's classified policy memorandum on counterterrorism drone strikes is just one more stepping stone in the long path of the forever war.
An airplane flies over a line of national flags.

National Security Creep in Cross-Border Investments

There has been a recent bipartisan shift to frame economic issues—among many others—in national security terms.
A child stands near two US army vehicles, which carry American flags. Nearby is a male American military officer.

How the FY23 NDAA Can Strengthen Oversight and Transparency of U.S. Security Assistance and Civilian Harm (Part II)

The draft NDAA contains a number of important provisions for preventing and responding to civilian harm.
A line of US soldiers walk in the countryside of the town of al-Malikiya in Syria.

Tit-for-Tat Hostilities In Syria: War Powers and International Law Implications

The Biden administration's latest war powers report to Congress and letter to the UN Security Council raise questions about the domestic and international legal basis for hostilities…
US President Joe Biden addresses the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate from the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House, in Washington, DC on June 17, 2022. - Biden hosts the virtual summit of major economies.

The Biden Administration Should Begin its “War on Secrecy” by Releasing Key War Powers Reports

Providing a meaningful report to Congress - and the American public - on legal and policy frameworks governing the use of force and related national security operations is not…
A child stands near two US army vehicles, which carry American flags. Nearby is a male American military officer.

How the FY23 NDAA Can Strengthen U.S. Efforts to Prevent and Respond to Civilian Harm (Part I)

Overhauling U.S. policies for preventing and responding to civilian harm will require sustained engagement from Congress.
Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Enrique Mora arrives at the Coburg Palace, venue of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) meeting.

To Check Iran’s Missiles, JCPOA Re-Entry is a Must

Iran’s missile program is a cause for international concern. Just last month, Iran launched a missile attack on Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdish region; in January 2020,…
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller Mike McCord, testify before the House Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill.

DoD Can’t Move Forward on Civilian Casualties Without Looking Back

"Neglecting past cases would be a grave mistake that could damage the credibility of an otherwise promising process."
Bill of one hundred dollars under holed paper

How Strengthening the Corporate Transparency Act Can Help the IRS Follow the Money

Stronger tools are needed for regulators to identify the true owners of financial holdings.
Reporters listen while US President Joe Biden makes a statement from the East Room of the White House about Russia's invasion of Ukraine February 24, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images).

Ukraine and the New Politics of Faux Transparency

To counter Russian disinformation operations, western governments should commit more deeply to transparency and openness.

2022 Update: Good Governance Paper No. 18: Reforming Emergency Powers

At one-year mark of Biden administration, top experts revisit proposals to restore and promote nonpartisan principles of good government.
A letter dated October 29, 2021. It reads, “From: Panel ICO U.S. vs. Khan; To: Convening Authority; The panel members listed below recommend clemency in the case of Majid Shoukat Khan. Mr. Kahn committed serious crimes against the U.S. and partner nations. He has plead guilty to these crimes and taken responsibility for his actions. Further, he has expressed remorse for the impact of the victims and their families. Clemency is recommended with the following justification: 1) Mr. Khan has been held without the basic due process under the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, he was held without charge or legal representation for nine years until 2021, and held without final sentencing until October 2021. Although designated on ‘alien unprivileged enemy belligerent,’ and not technically afforded the rights of U.S. citizens, the complete disregard for the foundational concepts upon which the Constitution was founded is an affront to American values and concept of Justice. 2) Mr. Khan was subjected to physical and psychological abuse well beyond approved enhanced interrogation techniques, instead being closer to torture performed by the most abusive regimes in modern history. This abuse was of no practical value in terms of intelligence, or any other tangible benefit to U.S. interests. Instead, it is a stain on the moral fiber of America; the treatment of Mr. Khan in the hands of U.S. personnel should be a source of shame for the U.S. government. 3) Mr. Khan committed his crimes as a young man reeling from the loss of his mother. A vulnerable target for extremist recruiting, he fell to influences furthering Islamic radical philosophies, just as many others have in recent years. Now at the age of 41 with a daughter he has never seen, he is remorseful and not a threat for future extremism. It is the view of the penal members below that clemency be granted based on the points above, as well as Mr. Khan’s continued cooperation with us efforts in other, more critical, prosecutions. Panel #1, Panel #8, Panel #5, Panel #9, Panel #12, Panel #4, Panel #11.”

Military Officers’ Handwritten Clemency Letter at Guantanamo – What It Says About Who We Are

"A long step toward the ultimate freedom: the realization that there is no them, there is only us."
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