(Special note: Lawfare, where I serve as His Serenity, Book Review Editor, is absolutely delighted VC’s own Orin Kerr has agreed to post there when the Spirit of National Security Law moves him.) Over at Lawfare, I have a longish post about the declared US government policy of preferring capture operations over kill operations where […]
Archive | Targeted Killing
The Bourne Implausibility: Movie Inspires Blog Post, Which Inspires Video, Which Inspires Blog Post
By Nick Rosenkranz on June 1, 2013 1:12 pm in Constitutional Law, Fifth Amendment, National Security, Popular Culture, Targeted Killing
Three months ago, under the heading “The Bourne Implausibility,” I offered up the following (wry?) observation: I just caught the last few minutes of The Bourne Ultimatum. At the end (spoiler alert), Bourne successfully exposes everything, and we catch a glimpse of MSNBC, reporting on a secret CIA assassination program “which in several cases may […]
Obama’s Speech on Drones and the War on Terror
By Ilya Somin on May 23, 2013 9:00 pm in Drones (UAVs), Targeted Killing, War and Armed Conflict, War on Terror
In his speech on drones and the War on Terror today President Obama made many valid points. But he also continued to elide some key issues. On the plus side, Obama correctly emphasized that the use of drones against terrorists is not inherently illegal nor immoral, that drones are often more discriminating and less likely […]
The Case for Drones
By Kenneth Anderson on May 22, 2013 10:50 am in Drones (UAVs), Targeted Killing, Terrorism, War and Armed Conflict, War on Terror
Just in time for President Obama’s big speech Thursday at the National Defense University on counterterrorism policy and strategy, Commentary Magazine has made available early my June cover article, “The Case for Drones.” (Available free and not behind the subscriber wall.) It’s a long essay arguing that drones are both effective and ethical, and addressing […]
Bill to Be Introduced to Increase Armed Services Committees’ Oversight Over Special Operations
By Kenneth Anderson on May 9, 2013 9:48 am in Counter-Terrorism Policy, Drones (UAVs), Military, National Security, Targeted Killing, War and Armed Conflict, War on Terror
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), member of the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, plans to introduce a bill that would increase Congressional oversight over kill-capture operations conducted outside of Afghanistan by the US military. University of Texas law professor Robert Chesney discusses the proposed legislation over at Lawfare, and gives a section by section commentary. Whether […]
My Written Testimony on Drones and Targeted Killing Before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights
My written testimony on the use of drones for targeted killing in the War on Terror submitted for yesterday’s hearing the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights is now available here. You can view the video of the oral testimony (both mine and the other witnesses) here. I will post […]
Oral Testimony on Drones and Targeted Killing Before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights
A video of my and other witnesses’ oral testimony on the use of drones for targeted killing in the War Terror, before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights is now available here (just click on “webcast”). It was interesting for me to see that there was a broad consensus […]
Upcoming George Mason University Event on Drones and the War on Terror
By Ilya Somin on April 8, 2013 10:40 am in Targeted Killing, Terrorism, War and Armed Conflict, War on Terror
This Wednesday, April 10, at 12 PM, I will be taking part in an event on the legal and policy issues surrounding the use of drones in the War on Terror, at George Mason University School of Law. I will be on a panel with my GMU colleagues Jeremy Rabkin and Nathan Sales. The event […]
Trevor Paglen Drone Photographs
If you’re interested in drones, you might also enjoy Trevor Paglen’s photographs of them. Paglen is a fascinating artist who has a particular interest in photographing secret things — drones, military installations, spy satellites. Here is Paglen’s webpage, and here is a recent New Yorker profile of him. If the Conspiracy had an official artist, […]
CIA Loses Drone Strike FOIA Appeal
By Jonathan H. Adler on March 15, 2013 12:46 pm in Counter-Terrorism Policy, Government Transparency, Targeted Killing, War on Terror
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) seeking information about drone strikes. The CIA filed a so-called “Glomar response,” refusing to confirm or deny the existence of material responsive to the ACLU’s request. The ACLU then sued, and the district court granted summary […]
The Bourne Implausibility
By Nick Rosenkranz on March 6, 2013 9:40 pm in Constitutional Law, Fifth Amendment, National Security, Popular Culture, Targeted Killing, Uncategorized
I just caught the last few minutes of The Bourne Ultimatum. At the end (spoiler alert), Bourne successfully exposes everything, and we catch a glimpse of MSNBC, reporting on a secret CIA assassination program “which in several cases may have even targeted U.S. citizens.” In the movie, it appears that MSNBC believes this to be […]
The Drone Targeting Dilemma
By Ilya Somin on February 8, 2013 10:45 am in Targeted Killing, War and Armed Conflict, War on Terror
The Obama administration memo on targeted killing has drawn an enormous amount of commentary, much of it hostile. To my mind, a lot of the criticism is overblown because it doesn’t give enough consideration to the fact that the memo’s rationale for targeted killing is strictly limited to American citizens who are “senior operational leader[s] […]
The Drone White Paper, Imminence, and “Active Self-Defense”
By Kenneth Anderson on February 7, 2013 12:53 pm in Targeted Killing, War and Armed Conflict, War on Terror
Co-Conspirator Jonathan mentioned posts at Lawfare blog discussing the Drone White Paper that has been much in the news along with notice that the Awlaki OLC memo will be shared with Congress, and all with the Brennan hearings for CIA director. I have added a post at Lawfare that Volokh readers might find interesting; it […]
Drone Memos Can Remain Secret
The federal government does not need to disclose the legal opinions and other documents justifying the use of drone to target suspected terrorists overseas, a federal judge ruled this week. As Josh Gerstein reports, the ACLU and New York Times had sought their release under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). While Judge Colleen McMahon […]
National Security Law in the News
By Eugene Kontorovich on November 25, 2012 11:51 am in Constitutional Law, Counter-Terrorism Policy, Criminal Law, Executive Branch, International Law, Military, National Security, Press, Targeted Killing
National Security Law in the News: A Guide for Journalists, Scholars, and Policymakers is a new book published by the ABA’s Standing Committee on Law and National Security and Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism. Despite the title, the book should be of interest to a general audience, as it offers a concise, broad plain-language overview […]