Today's Headlines and Commentary

U.S. intercepts of Saudi officials show that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered senior Saudi officials to lure journalist Jamal Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia to be detained, according to the Washington Post.

The leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday sent a bipartisan letter to President Trump, demanding an investigation into suspected murder of Jamal Khashoggi, reports the New York Times. The letter triggers an investigation under the Global Magnitsky Act, meaning the president has 120 days to decide whether to sanction foreign persons. In addition to Chairman Bob Corker of Tennessee and Ranking Member Bob Menendez of New Jersey, 20 other senators signed on to the letter.

The Pentagon announced on Thursday that the U.S. will temporarily suspend operations for F-35 fighter jets due to safety concerns about faulty fuel tubes inside engines, says the Post. Concerns arose after a jet crashed in South Carolina last month; this was the first time that the F-35 has crashed in 17 years

Dina Powell has been named a leading candidate to replace Nikki Haley, the departing U.S. Ambassador to the UN; while she reportedly is President Trump’s pick, she faces internal opposition from White House chief of staff John Kelly and national security adviser John Bolton, reports the Post.

President Trump is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November at the Group of 20 leaders’ summit in Buenos Aires, reports the Wall Street Journal. The two sides hope to prevent the ongoing trade hostilities from further impacting global markets.

The FBI has arrested and detained a man who planned to detonate a 200 pound bomb on the National Mall on Election Day, reports the Post.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Jim Baker posted the third installment of his series on the counterintelligence implications of developments in artificial intelligence. The first two parts can be found here and here.

Carrie Cordero argued that releasing intelligence on what happened to journalist Jamal Khashoggi is good for the public interest.

Andrew Kent analyzed the original meaning of Article II of the Constitution, and the internal limits it imposes.

Quinta Jurecic assessed the Trump administration’s claim that collusion is not a crime as per the First Amendment.

Victoria Clark uploaded the recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the state of cybersecurity for the Defense Department’s weapons systems.

Anushka Limaye uploaded the Justice Department’s indictment of a Chinese intelligence officer, who is accused of spying on U.S. aviation companies.

Jen Patja Howell posted the latest episode of Rational Security, in which Tamara Cofman Wittes, Shane Harris, Susan Hennessey and Ben Wittes discussed the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the resignation of U.S. ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, and Bloomberg Businessweek’s controversial report that China hacked the supply chain of more than 30 U.S. companies.

Email the Roundup Team noteworthy law and security-related articles to include, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for additional commentary on these issues. Sign up to receive Lawfare in your inbox. Visit our Events Calendar to learn about upcoming national security events, and check out relevant job openings on our Job Board.

We rely on contributions from our generous readers, and now, as a thank you, we're offering a Lawfare challenge coin! Get yours by making a donation at lawfarestore.com.