Today's Headlines and Commentary

Last week, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the outgoing chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), sent a letter to the White House outlining reforms she plans to initiate to “make sure that the United States never again engages in... torture.” Wells shared the letter here at Lawfare. McClatchy notes both the letter and the administration’s response. According to the National Journal, CIA Inspector General David Buckley will step down from his position on January 31. His resignation follows “a particularly tumultuous year for the agency.” In light of recent revelations regarding the CIA’s interrogation techniques, the Washington Post’s Walter Pincus considers lessons learned from President Dwight Eisenhower’s covert U-2 spy program. Reuters reports that over the past two days, the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State has conducted 20 airstrikes. Fourteen were launched in Syria, where “five Islamic State oil collection points and a related pipeline near Dawr az Zawr” were hit. The remaining six attacks were conducted in Iraq. Meanwhile, U.S. troops stationed at Iraq’s Al Asad air base have been coming under “regular” fire from Islamic State militants, according to Defense Department spokesperson Col. Steve Warren. Although such attacks have been “wholly ineffective,” Defense News notes that Col. Warren’s statement represents “the first time that the Pentagon acknowledged that the 2,100 US troops in Iraq have been in danger since deploying late last year.” The Post shares a graphic from the U.S. Forces Afghanistan, depicting the number of American military personnel, equipment, and supplies involved in Operation Resolute Support in 2014. According to the New York Times, the Palestinian Authority appears to be “gaining momentum” in its bid for statehood. Its strategy aims to gain international recognition of Palestinian statehood through UN Security Council resolutions and acceptance into the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a Times op-ed, Cliff Sloan, the State Department’s former special envoy for closing Guantanamo Bay, outlines the path the U.S. government needs to take in order to officially close the detention facility. Since the U.S. government announced the normalizing of relations with Cuba, the Coast Guard has seen a major spike in the number of Cubans attempting to reach the United States by makeshift boat. According to the Post, these immigrants fear that the current quick path to legal residency in the U.S. may end soon. The National Journal examines what would happen to the Department of Homeland Security if political wrangling prevented Congress and the White House from coming together on a spending bill that would fund the Department. Reuters reports that fighting broke out yesterday along the India-Pakistan border. Pakistan claims that Indian forces killed four civilians. However, India maintains that the four individuals were plotting an assault on Indian soil and that Indian security personnel responded in kind. One Indian border guard is dead. The Post informs us that U.S. military operations, aimed at combatting and containing the Ebola outbreak in western Africa, are quietly drawing down. The Daily Beast reports that two American citizens have been charged in federal court for their part in last month’s coup to overthrow the Gambian government. Defense News shares an interview Congressman Randy Forbes (R-VA), the chairman of the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee.

ICYMI: Yesterday, on Lawfare

Matt Waxman explained why the Palestinian Authority’s move to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) is bad for Israel, bad for the Palestinian Authority, and bad for the ICC itself. Alex Whiting shared what he thinks is going on within the ICC in regard to the Palestinian Authority. Jack provided a rationale for why the U.S. government is unable to share its evidence for attributing the Sony hack to North Korea. Wells flagged outgoing SSCI Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)’s letter to President Obama on proposed reforms to the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program. Ben informed us about the winners of Lawfare donation prizes. 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.