Today's Headlines and Commentary

The U.S.-led coalition to fight back the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq struck Raqqa, an IS stronghold in Syria, hard last night.  CNN reports at least thirty airstrikes were launched against the city, as confirmed both by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based organization, and by rebels on the ground. The United States will begin screening Syrian rebels before including them in U.S.-led military training programs. The Washington Post reports that the screening will include psychological and stress evaluations along with standard background checks. These steps go far beyond what the United States usually employs when vetting foreign soldiers. Meanwhile, in Iraq, the United States will employ a new training strategy. The Post explains that the U.S. military will train a small number of elite Iraqi soldiers, rather than attempt to help build a new army from the ground up. But even if this highly skilled force is able to push the Islamic State back in key parts of Iraq, it is “unlikely to address the larger decay across Iraq’s security forces and institutions, a more complex, deeply rooted phenomenon that undermines the country’s stability.” The Iraqi government didn’t collapse because of weak organization or a strong militant opposition: “rampant” corruption is to blame, according to Doyle McManus' op-ed in the Los Angeles Times. McManus argues this kind of corruption, seen in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and even Mexico, is a greater threat to American national security than any terrorist organization alone. What kind of Secretary of Defense does President Obama need? The New York Times put the question to several defense experts, over at the newspaper's “Room for Debate” blog. As the search for the next Secretary of Defense continues, the Boston Globe takes a look at the relationship between the Obama White House and the Pentagon over the last six years. The piece describes the relationship as “full of friction,” with a Pentagon that doesn’t seem to fully trust its president:

Obama has been seen in the Pentagon as being overly suspicious of the military and its inclination to use force to address problems. To some in the Pentagon, the president’s approach to the military seems particularly cool and detached when compared with that of his predecessor, Republican George W. Bush, who was more eager to embrace the military and accept its judgments.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Pentagon is preparing to release several more Guantanamo detainees over the next months. It is unclear how many detainees are expected to be released, but defense officials told the Journal to expect more in December. And despite any controversy surrounding his stepping down from office, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel still called a number of American servicemen and women serving overseas to wish them a happy Thanksgiving. The Post has the story. Meanwhile, National Defense Magazine considers why the Pentagon’s warnings about cutting military spending have gone seemingly unaddressed in Congress. German lawmakers have recently discovered that the German foreign intelligence agency can spy on its own citizens. The AP reports that a “legal loophole” was recently exposed and announced to the German Parliament, leaving some confused as to why the German government expressed such outrage at alleged NSA surveillance. It seems sophisticated hackers have been stealing electronic messages from leading biotech and drug companies.  Read more about this in the Times.  

ICYMI: This Weekend, on Lawfare

Daniel Byman penned this week’s Foreign Policy Essay, sharing his “Thoughts on Counterterrorism and ‘Blowback.’” Diane Webber told us about the new counter-terrorism bill in the UK that would revoke passports from individuals believed to have gone to fight in Syria and Iraq. Sean Mirski updated us on the “Rahmatullah Saga,” the case of Yunus Rahmatullah, a Pakistani who was transferred from British to American custody, ultimately spending ten years at Bagram Airbase. Sean traces the legal challenges that Rahmatullah brought against the British government both during and after his imprisonment and what the legal situation looks like now. Jack, meanwhile, was highly critical of Bruce Fein’s defense on Senator Rand Paul’s draft declaration of war against the Islamic State. 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.