Big news from the publishing world: a member of SEAL Team 6 has written an account of the mission to kill Osama bin Laden, to be published on September 11th. Julie Bosman at the New York Times reported yesterday, noting that Pentagon officials indicated that they had not approved the manuscript—nor had the author sought their approval. Greg Miller of the Washington Post covers the news as well, noting that the book’s publication would destroy secrecy maintained by members of the Navy SEAL team, as well as raise some legal and political issues for the White House, given all the hullabaloo recently over executive branch leaks and the rise in the number of leaks prosecuted by the Obama administration.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey has commented on the video featuring former special ops forces speaking out against President Obama. Jeremy Herb of The Hill covered the General’s comments on his return flight from Afghanistan and Iraq:

“If someone uses the uniform, whatever uniform, for partisan politics, I am disappointed because I think it does erode that bond of trust we have with the American people,” Dempsey said during his flight back from a trip to Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Is their criticism valid? I won’t comment on that,” Dempsey said “Is it useful? No, it’s not useful. It’s not useful to me.”

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is placing the blame for recent attacks on NATO troops by individuals wearing an Afghan uniform on foreign intelligence agencies. Graham Bowley and Richard A. Oppel Jr. write in the New York Times on Karzai’s office’s remarks.

The Pentagon has made its recommendation to President Obama for the next commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan: Marine General Joseph Dunford, reports (caution: paywall) Julian Barnes of the Wall Street Journal

In addition to canceling the 9/11 hearings scheduled for this week, Guantanamo started bracing itself for Hurricane Isaac, evacuating lawyers and reporters by noon today, and relocating the detainees into shelters. Carol Rosenberg reports in the Miami Herald (FYI the hearings have been rescheduled for 15-19 October).

Shane Harris of the Washingtonian has this New York Times op-ed which calls for increased oversight over the NSA in relation to its version of the Pentagon’s post-9/11 Total Information Awareness program which intercepts and scans electronic communications around the world in search of terrorist connections.

The New York Times shared this video interview of William Binney, who was the 32-year veteran of the NSA and the whistle blower on the NSA program Harris wrote about.

HuffPost Live hosted former Gitmo detainee Moazzam Begg and his lawyer yesterday and two former Gitmo security guards to discuss conditions in the prison and the decision not to close the detention center. Here’s the recording:

Adam Goldman of the AP spills the beans on how successful the NYPD’s surveillance program on Muslim communities has been: no leads have been generated from the program, according to court testimony that’s been unsealed recently.

For more interesting law and security-related articles, follow us on Twitter, visit the Georgetown Center on National Security and the Law’s Security Law Brief, Fordham Law’s Center on National Security’s Morning Brief, and Fordham Law’s Cyber Brief. Email us noteworthy articles we may have missed at wakeman.lawfare@gmail.com and singh.lawfare@gmail.com.

Send to Kindle