In his post on Senator Rand Paul’s proposal regarding citizens and the NDAA, Bobby highlights a recurring and important question: why is it so hard for ostensibly civil libertarian legislators explicitly to oppose the domestic detention of U.S. citizens? To … Read more »
This event, which I just added to the Lawfare Events Calendar, looks interesting:
The Georgetown Center on National Security and the Law
and the
National Security Law Society
Cordially invite you to a brown bag lunch discussion with
Congressman
Raff pointed earlier to a USA Today op-ed by Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), the Vice Chairman of the House Armed Services committee. His piece is styled as a response – an “opposing view,” in USA Today parlance – to an… Read more »
The Hill’s Defcon blog has the scoop: in votes today regarding the rules for detention under the FY2013 NDAA, the House rejected the Smith-Amash amendment in a 238-182 largely party-line vote (19 Democrats voted against it, and 19 Republicans … Read more »
Ben is a far better wordsmith than I–”a little cowardly” communicates a lot more in a lot less than my post from Tuesday afternoon about why the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act does … Read more »
The debate over the Smith-Amash amendment to the NDAA continues. Yesterday, we posted a letter written by former administration attorneys general criticizing that amendment, among others. Today, it’s twenty-seven retired admirals and generals writing in support of the Smith-Amash Amendment … Read more »
I have largely refrained from commenting on the machinations over this year’s NDAA–in part because I’m still a little worn out from last year’s NDAA, and in part because the issue seems to me a bit of tempest in a … Read more »
I have thus far stayed fairly mum on the FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act, if for no other reason than the 150 exams (now 80) that I have to grade. That said, there’s an alarming meme emerging from the House … Read more »
As Bobby noted previously, Rep. Adam Smith and others are proposing amendments to this year’s NDAA that would make certain changes to the detention-related provisions implemented by last year’s NDAA. Among other things, the Smith Amendment would effectively prohibit the … Read more »
A quick note updating readers on the progress of the draft NDAA FY’13: Chairman McKeon’s bill passed HASC last night in the wee hours. Next stop: the floor, where we are likely to see, among other things, debate over an … Read more »
HASC Chairman Buck McKeon today released a draft NDAA for FY ’13, which will head to the full committee for markup on the 9th. The text of the bill as it currently stands is posted here, McKeon’s announcement and … Read more »
House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member and Sen. Mark Udall have proposed a brief bill that would make two significant changes to the NDAA’s detention provisions. The bill, a fact sheet about which is available here, does two things: … Read more »
House Armed Services Chairman Buck McKeon released the following statement on the detainee recidivism report:
House Armed Services Committee Releases
Report on Risk Levels in the Release of Detainees from Guantanamo BayWASHINGTON – Today the House Armed Services Committee
Back in March 2011, House Armed Services Chairman Buck McKeon and Ranking Minority Member Adam Smith instructed the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations to examine transfers and releases of detainees from Guantanamo. The Subcommittee has now released the results of … Read more »
You can read the detention-specific portions of the December 14th House debate on the conference report here.
Here are some highlights:
Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL) presented a strident opposition to the provisions. His comments begin right on page 1:… Read more »
Here is a letter from Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, defending and clarifying the detention provisions in the NDAA and advocating for its passage.
Dear Colleague:
One of the most important issues
As noted previously, I testified in late July before House Armed Services regarding detention policy, with a focus on the Warsame situation. I’ve seen received a handful of QFRs from committee members, and thought readers might be interested in seeing … Read more »
As Raffaela notes below, the NDAA FY12 passed the House yesterday with the AUMF provision, section 1034, intact. The action now moves on the Senate, and beyond that we have the prospect of negotiations in conference and, of course, … Read more »
The House Armed Services Committee has formally assigned a subcommittee to investigate recidivism and treatment issues related to transfers from Guantanamo. In this letter to Reps. Rob Whitman and Jim Cooper–the chairman and ranking member respectively of the Subcommittee on … Read more »
I have now had the chance to go over a transcript of Thursday’s House Armed Services Committee hearing on detention policy, at which Pentagon General Counsel Jeh Johnson and Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III both testified. Video of … Read more »
Friday, May 17, 2013
The Department of Justice’s Inspector General released an interim report on the Department’s handling of “known or suspected” terrorists who have entered the government’s witness protection program. The report found, among other things, that information on some program participants had not been turned over to no-fly list authorities; and, that two such people could not be located—though one… Read more »
