Today's News and Commentary

We're in a lull with NDAA news because the conference committee is still thrashing out its language. So you'll have to hold your breath on that subject, but there's lots of other stuff going on. The Associated Press reports that a man by the name of Faruq Khalil Muhammad ‘Isa was indicted on Friday in Canada for "conspiring to kill Americans and providing material support to terrorists." Bobby discussed the case here. The AP informs us that U.S. officials are defending "Five Echo," the disciplinary block at Guantanamo Bay, against allegations that living conditions in the facility "violate the Geneva Conventions."  Along with other lawyers, David Remes, an attorney representing several of the detainees, maintains that "the cells are too small, toilets inadequate, lights overly bright, and [the] air foul." As Ben noted in this earlier post, the Times discussed over the weekend the "archipelago of federal prisons that stretches across the country," which has absorbed a huge number of convicted terrorists at a far higher and far less expensive rate than at Guantanamo Bay--but with fascinating costs as well. Check out this telling graphic from the article: Ali Musa Daqduq has been generating significant controversy as U.S. forces prepare to leave Iraq in a few weeks, the Times reports. (Bobby has, of course, written extensively on the issue.) In other Iraq news, the Times covers Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki's meeting with President Obama today to "chart broad shifts" in the bilateral relationship, and the Washington Post has the video of the news conference here. Kimberly Kagan of the Institute for the Study of War and Frederick W. Kagan of AEI make the case in the Post that the apparent good relations between the two countries are a "mirage." Just in case you're having a good day: Between 10 and 15 suspected Al-Qaeda militants escaped from a Yemeni prison early this morning, says the Post. David Wise, author of Tiger Trap: America’s Secret Spy War with China, writes in the Times about how China's spies are catching up to American intelligence and how "Washington’s ongoing failure to make Chinese espionage a priority has allowed China to score a number of successes in its espionage efforts against the United States. " Here's one way to reduce the deficit: A Pentagon program aimed at curbing casualties from IEDs is facing potential cuts, according to the Post. From the department of conflicting information, the Washington Times tells us that the Pakistani Taliban has "denied an earlier announcement by the militant group’s deputy chief that it was holding peace talks with the government." The Voice of America covers the original announcement here. In case you need something to throw darts at, here is a gallery from the Post listing the currently most-wanted Al Qaeda nasties. Guess who's first? And if your Twitter feed is getting a little dull, check out today's Moment of Zen for the latest terrorist microblogging sensation. For more interesting law and security-related articles, follow us on Twitter, and visit the Georgetown Center on National Security and the Law’s Security Law Brief as well as the Fordham Law Center on National Security’s Morning Brief. Feel free to email us noteworthy articles we may have missed at wakeman.lawfare@gmail.com and  singh.lawfare@gmail.com.