By Jonathan Abrams, NSJ Staff Editor - There is hope that a tool for tracking terrorists’ finances that was effectively eliminated by the European Parliament in February will come back online this summer. The Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP) was started after the September 11th attacks as a way to identify, track, and pursue suspected […]
NSJ Analysis: Guantanamo Case Highlights Obama Administration’s Divide Over National Security Strategy
Officials in the Obama administration have shown signs of discord in formulating national security policy. Different officials are approaching the government’s anti-terrorism policy from different angles, making it difficult for the Administration to find and maintain a consistent position. The division over counterterrorism strategy flared up most recently when Administration officials struggled with articulating the […]
Experts Discuss Challenges Faced by Military Lawyers in Interpreting the Law of Armed Conflict
By Brian Itami, NSJ Staff Editor - On Wednesday, March 31, four past and current military lawyers participated in a panel at Harvard Law School entitled “The Indeterminacy of International Humanitarian Law”. The event, sponsored by the National Security Journal, the HLS International Law Society, the HLS Program on the Legal Profession, and the HLS […]
Federal Judge Finds NSA Warrantless Electronic Surveillance of Islamic Foundation Illegal
By Mary Ostberg, NSJ Staff Editor - On Wednesday, March 31st, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, Chief Judge of the Ninth Circuit’s Northern District of California, granted summary judgment for the plaintiffs in a suit against the U.S. government brought by the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation (“Al-Haramain”). The Oregon nonprofit corporation and two of its attorneys, […]
Novel Arguments Offered in the KSM Debate
By Mat Trachok, NSJ Staff Editor - According to the Washington Post, White House advisers recently stated that alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) will most likely be tried before a military commission. However, the debate still rages. Last November, NSJ provided a brief overview of arguments for and against trying KSM in civilian […]
Obama Administration Offers Legal Defense of Drone Attacks, Targeted Killing
By John Cella, NSJ Current Events Editor - A key component of the Obama administration’s fight against al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their affiliates has been the increasing use of drone strikes in Pakistan. In a speech on Thursday, State Department Legal Adviser Harold Koh provided the clearest articulation thus far of the Administration’s legal […]