Today's Headlines and Commentary

News of the NSA disclosures dominates the airwaves and interwebs, although the majority of the media coverage, predictably, has been centered around the the October 3, 2011 FISC opinion (in which Judge John D. Bates ruled, in part, that the NSA’s collection of certain Internet communications was inconsistent with Section 702 of FISA and the Fourth Amendment). Here are the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times, and the Guardian. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which filed the FOIA request that led to this document dump, released this statement. We’re covering the disclosures in depth: here is a list of all the declassified documents, an introduction to the documents, commentary on the October 2011 FISC opinion, an analysis of the November 2011 opinion, a discussion of the September 2012 opinion, and a breakdown of the information provided to Congress. Mike Levine and Jonathan Karl of ABC News inform us that the White House has unofficially selected the members of its independent panel to review the NSA’s surveillance programs. Among them are the recent acting head of the CIA, Michael Morell, and former White House officials Richard Clarke, Cass Sunstein and Peter Swire. Rapidly shifting gears, let’s check in with accused Fort Hood shooter, Maj. Nidal Hasan. We learn that in the days before the shooting rampage, Hasan sent emails to his supervisors about some of the soldiers he was evaluating as part of his job, reports Manny Fernandez of the Times. Hasan’s trial is under way; he has called no witnesses and did not take the stand to testify on his own behalf. In previous days, prosecutors presented damning evidence against Hasan, and delivered their closing arguments today. According to CNN’s Chelsea J. Carter, a military jury will come to a verdict soon. In more ongoing trial news, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the soldier who opened fire on Afghan villagers last year, will take the stand and apologize at his sentencing hearing, reports CNN’s Dana Ford. Bradley Manning is now Chelsea Manning. The Army private who was sentenced yesterday to 35 years for leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, wants to begin hormone therapy and live as a woman. The Post has the details, as well as Manning’s statement. Meanwhile, Yemen wants American drones. Reuters has more. The Times’s Room for Debate feature discusses the pros and cons of America’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, its vitally important, staunchly undemocratic ally. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave a televised national address this week in which he said Pakistan was willing to hold talks with Taliban militants---or use heavy force against them. Salman Masood of the Times tells us about Sharif's "lament." Don’t provide material support to Mohamed Lahbous, the newest addition to the State Department’s terrorist list. Lahbous is a senior member of the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJWA), says Carlo Munoz of the Hill. Speaking of official U.S. action against terrorists, four senior members of Hezbollah have been blacklisted by Treasury. CNN’s Jamie Crawford tells us why. Treasury also sanctioned an Islamic school in Peshawar, Pakistan for "allegedly training and financing fighters from al-Aaida and other militant groups." The AP states that a senior leader of the group in Pakistan, who is thought to have managed logistics for Osama bin Laden's family members, was also sanctioned. Another day, another strong but empty statement about using force against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if chemical weapons were indeed used. Here is the Times on that. 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 blog, and Fordham Law’s Center on National Security’s Morning Brief and Cyber Brief. Email the Roundup Team 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.