Secrecy: FOIA
Climate Change at the FBI: Why We Sued the Bureau Last Week
Scott R. Anderson, Benjamin Wittes Mon, May 21, 2018, 5:24 PM
An update on a Freedom of Information Act request.
Scott R. Anderson is a David M. Rubenstein fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. He previously served as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State and as the legal advisor for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.
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Appointments, Confirmations & Budgets
20 Questions the Senate Should Ask Gina Haspel
Scott R. Anderson, Susan Hennessey Tue, May 8, 2018, 2:45 PM
How to approach the prospective CIA director’s role in the controversial rendition, detention and interrogation program.
Politics & National Security
Law and Public Intuition on the Use of Force, Part 1: An Introduction
Scott R. Anderson, Megan Reiss Fri, May 4, 2018, 9:54 AM
We set out to design a set of surveys to measure the extent to which public opinion—or, perhaps more accurately, the public’s moral intuition—aligns with legal considerations regarding the use of force. Our results surprised us.
Detention & Guantanamo
First Detainee Transferred From Guantanamo Under Trump
Scott R. Anderson Wed, May 2, 2018, 7:17 PM
Earlier today, the Pentagon announced that Ahmed al-Darbi, a Guantanamo Bay detainee who pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors, has been repatriated to his native Saudi Arabia pursuant to the terms of his settlement agreement
Federal Law Enforcement
Taking the Pulse of the FBI One Year Into Trump’s Tenure
Scott R. Anderson, Benjamin Wittes Tue, Apr 24, 2018, 8:00 AM
The FBI just completed a survey that shows how the last year’s events have affected the rank-and-file’s morale. We’re asking for the results.
AUMF
A Fast Track to Nowhere: ‘Expedited Procedures’ and the New AUMF Proposal
Scott R. Anderson, Molly E. Reynolds Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 9:04 AM
The new draft AUMF promotes greater transparency and congressional involvement in deciding on the scope of U.S. counterterrorism operations, but it primarily serves to give Congress political leverage. As a legal matter, it leaves the president firmly in control.
NDAA
Tracking Down the NDAA Reports
Michael Webert, Molly E. Reynolds, Scott R. Anderson Wed, Mar 21, 2018, 8:00 AM
The due dates for reports required by the most recent National Defense Authorization Act have begun to arrive. We take a look at how the Trump administration has been responding.