Today's Headlines and Commentary

Port security: not nearly as sexy as some national security topics, but definitely a major component of homeland security. The Department of Homeland Security had until July to ensure that 100 percent of inbound shipping containers are screened at foreign ports, but it has missed the deadline. Paul already noted this article, which Douglas Frantz in the Washington Post wrote. Stephanie Gaskell of Politico writes on the recent remarks of Lt. Gen. Michael Barbero, who heads up the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization. He testified at a hearing of a House subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee on the continued, and potentially increasing, threat the U.S. faces from IED attacks within its borders. Tom Vandenbrook of USA Today writes on the success of imagery and sensors to identify and reduce the number of IEDs that are killing troops in Afghanistan. Congressman Adam Smith, who is the highest-ranked Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, spoke last week at the American Security Project on U.S. counterterrorism strategy in Africa. The gist? The U.S. is using special forces for indirect missions to provide training and logistical support in the region, reports Carlo Munoz at The Hill. Ben shared Scott Shane's latest in the New York Times over the weekend on the moral case for drones. And Jeremy Hammond writes a rebuttal piece in Foreign Policy Journal. On Friday, Dina Temple-Raston reported on NPR's All Things Considered on the efforts of Al Qaeda affiliates in Mali, Yemen and Somalia to take over territory and attempt to govern. While these attempts were beaten back in Yemen and Somalia, it remains to be seen who will be victorious there. The FBI and Commerce Department are investigating  a Chinese telecommunications firm and its U.S. subsidiary, which may have sold prohibited surveillance equipment to Iran. Ellen Nakashima at the Washington Post reports. The clock is ticking for Congress to reach a compromise on cybersecurity legislation. With three weeks left before the August recess, Jennifer Martinez at The Hill tells us what's been happening in the Senate. Carol Rosenberg at the Miami Herald reports on the latest motion by members of the media regarding access to the Al Nashiri hearings. And the Kuwait Times reports on the suits filed by Fayez Al Kandari's Kuwaiti lawyer against the Kuwaiti government for failing to successfully secure Al Kandari's release or transfer to his homeland. The Arab Times also reports on the court filings. Here's the latest on Omar Khadr's efforts to be transferred to Canada from Guantanamo---from Teresa Smith of the Vancouver Sun. We noted the Washington Post article last week about Sabrina De Sousa, the former CIA officer who allegedly played a major role in the rendition of Abu Omar in Italy. The verdict in the convicted Americans' case before the Italian Supreme Court won't come until September, writes Ian Shapira in The Post. Aram Roston at The Daily Beast writes on the hearing today in Al Maqaleh, as did Larkin earlier. 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, Fordham Law’s Center on National Security’s Morning Brief, and Fordham Law’s Cyber Brief. Email us noteworthy articles we may have missed at wakeman.lawfare@gmail.com and  singh.lawfare@gmail.com.