Today's Headlines and Commentary

Over the weekend, Iranian authorities appeared to use tear gas to contain anti-government protestors, reports the Wall Street Journal. The demonstrations started after Iranian authorities admitted to unintentionally shooting down a passenger airliner last week, killing 176 people, including 82 Iranians.

Iranian Olympic medalist Kimia Alizadeh announced that she had defected from Iran because of “hypocrisy, lies, injustice and flattery,” according to the New York Times. Alizadeh did not say where she was seeking asylum.

Both defense secretary Mark Esper and national security advisor Robert O’Brien said that general intelligence supported President Trump’s assessment of the situation in Iran, reports to the Washington Post. Esper, however, noted that he saw no specific evidence to support President Trump’s assertion that Soleimani was targeting four American embassies.

Kenneth Roth, the head of an international human rights group, was denied entry into Hong Kong, according to the Times. Mr. Roth had planned to release a report critical of the Chinese regime’s human rights record.

At least a dozen Saudi military trainees in the U.S. may be expelled from the country after an FBI investigation that found that many allegedly possessed child pornography and others allegedly had connections to extremist rhetoric, reports the Post. The bureau alleges that a few of the expelled Saudis failed to report alarming behavior by the gunman who killed three people last month at a Pensacola, Fla. military base.

ICYMI: This Weekend on Lawfare

Elettra Bietti analyzed the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.

Philip Bobbit argued that the House ought to subpoena important witnesses before transmitting the bill of impeachment to the Senate.

Preston Lim examined new developments in Canadian national security.

Hannah Kris announced the release of a new Lawfare e-book, “Context and Consequences of the Soleimani Strike: A Lawfare Compilation.”

Jonathan Shaub looked at the law underlying the executive branch’s refusal to comply with the House’s impeachment inquiry.

Shaub followed up with a piece reflecting on how the House should have handled the executive branch’s assertion of constitutional privilege during the impeachment inquiry.

Robert Chesney examined the legality of the failed airstrike on Iranian Quds Force commander Abdul Reza Shahla’i.

Hadley Baker and Jen Patja Howell shared the latest edition of The Lawfare Podcastin which Bobby Chesney and Steve Vladeck discussed the legality of the Soleimani killing and the future of U.S.-Iranian relations.

Quinta Jurecic shared the FBI’s response to the order of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court requesting further information on FBI and Justice Department practices in filing FISA warrants and the FISC’s ruling appointing David Kris as amicus curiae.

Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware analyzed the growing threat of incels.

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