Today’s Headlines and Commentary

Sectarian violence in Iraq has claimed the lives of 33 people, mainly Shi’a, reports the BBC. The excellently-named Tech Dirt reports that Facebook “likes” and “shares” are evidence of material support for terrorism in the case against four California gentlemen accused of sharing anti-U.S. government posts and videos. Feel free to “like” and “share” Lawfare posts though; we can’t promise it won’t get you into trouble with prosecutors someday, but we’re pretty sure. Spencer Ackerman of Wired’s Danger Room reports on Jeh Johnson’s Oxford Union speech, which Ben linked to earlier. Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Lee Tappen cost the government $74,000 because he ordered parts through his job to build a plane for himself, says Tim McGlone of PilotOnline.com. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, breaking from his pals Lindsey Graham and John McCain, has called for “mercy” for Susan Rice. Kevin Cirilli of Politico has the story. Pfc. Bradley Manning testified for the first time yesterday. Here is Julie Tate of the Post on his description of his treatment at Quantico. Manning “has accept[ed] responsibility for providing classified material to WikiLeaks in exchange for a maximum term of 16 years in prison.” The Associated Press has more. 1-800-Benghazi: That’s not the phone number, but the FBI is seeking tips---by phone, text, or email---from anyone with information about the Benghazi attack, says Carol Cratty of CNN’s Security Clearance blog. Steve Coll writes in the New Yorker about the possibility of a coup instead of a peaceful transition in Afghanistan. The New York Times has an editorial arguing that the rule handbook for drones should be “shown to a world skeptical of countries that use deadly force without explanation.” From the Frenemy Press: Huma Imtiaz of the Express Tribune reports that Dr. Shakil Afridi, the man who risked his life to help the CIA locate Osama bin Laden, has gone on a hunger strike to protest his conditions in prison. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland has said that the United States is negotiating his release with Pakistan. And, if you found an inappropriate message from the TSA in your luggage after the holiday weekend, you’re not alone: it’s today’s Moment of Zen. 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, Syracuse’s Institute for National Security & Counterterrorism’s newsroll, and Fordham Law’s Center on National Security’s Morning Brief and Cyber Brief. Email Raffaela Wakeman and Ritika Singh noteworthy articles to include, visit the Lawfare Events Calendar for upcoming national security events, and check out relevant job openings at the Lawfare Job Board.