International Governance
New Global Declaration of Democratic Principles
John Bellinger Sat, Feb 16, 2019, 7:38 AM
At the Munich Security Conference on Feb.
John B. Bellinger III is a partner in the international and national security law practices at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP in Washington, DC. He is also Adjunct Senior Fellow in International and National Security Law at the Council on Foreign Relations. He served as The Legal Adviser for the Department of State from 2005–2009, as Senior Associate Counsel to the President and Legal Adviser to the National Security Council at the White House from 2001–2005, and as Counsel for National Security Matters in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice from 1997–2001.
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Donald Trump
What We Said in August 2016: Trump 'Would Put at Risk Our Country’s National Security'
John Bellinger Fri, Dec 21, 2018, 8:54 AM
50 former national security officials argued in August 2016 Donald Trump “would put at risk our country’s national security and well-being."
In memoriam
George H.W. Bush's National Security Team: A Study in Statecraft
John Bellinger Sun, Dec 2, 2018, 12:26 PM
Bush personally enjoyed the affection, respect and trust of his counterparts. But he also selected and was advised by perhaps the strongest and most stable national security team in American history.
International Governance
Thoughts on the ICJ’s Decision in Iran v United States and the Trump Administration’s Treaty Withdrawals
John Bellinger Fri, Oct 5, 2018, 11:30 AM
The U.S. decision to withdraw from the Treaty of Amity is a prudent, though regrettable, response to Iran's abuse of the treaty. But the withdrawal from the 1961 Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations is an overreaction.
International Criminal Court (ICC)
The Trump Administration Throws Down the Gauntlet to the ICC. The Court Should Decline The Challenge.
John Bellinger Mon, Sep 10, 2018, 11:50 PM
The U.S.-ICC dispute cries out for a diplomatic resolution.
Unfiled
ICYMI: Former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh Urges Republicans to Defend the Mueller Investigation and the Justice Department
John Bellinger Sun, Jun 17, 2018, 12:12 PM
In case you missed it, or missed Benjamin Wittes’s subsequent tweet commending it, former attorney general Dick Thornburgh had an important op-ed in the Washington Post last week—headlined “We Republicans Must All Speak out to Protect the Mueller Investigation”—in which he defends Bob Mueller, his investiga
International Law
The Trump Administration Should Do More to Explain the Legal Basis for the Syrian Airstrikes
John Bellinger Sat, Apr 14, 2018, 4:46 PM
When the United States uses military force, especially under controversial circumstances, it should explain the legal basis for its actions.