The Week That Was: All of Lawfare in One Post

On Friday, the news broke that the special counsel is investigating whether Michael Flynn and his son plotted to deliver Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen to Turkey. Susan Hennessey and Benjamin Wittes analyzed the legal and political significance of this development. Wittes shared a special edition of the Lawfare Podcast discussing the story with Shane Harris, Ryan Evans, Wittes, Hennessey, Paul Rosenzweig and Steve Vladeck:

Responding to last week’s attack in New York City, Lisa Monaco outlined new strategies that address to the most salient threats in the next phase of the war on terror.

Tamara Cofman Wittes and Brian Reeves analyzed considerations for the U.S.-backed forces reconstructing the newly captured city of Raqqa.

J. Dana Stuster updated the Middle East Ticker, covering the political turmoil in Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s aggressive foreign policy moves.

Dan Byman discussed the U.S.’s failures to promote peace among its partners in the Middle East.

Scott Anderson detailed the constitutional disputes in Iraq that contributed to the Kurdistan referendum.

Matthew Kahn discussed the implications of the Manafort-Gates indictment for Foreign Agents Registration Act enforcement.

Mieke Eoyang, Ben Freeman, Adam Twardowski and Benjamin Wittes analyzed survey data on public confidence in the president and the military on specific national security issues. Eoyang, Freeman and Wittes detailed specific results about confidence in the intelligence community and its legal authorities for surveillance. They also highlighted how the indictments have dramatically increased confidence in the special counsel, up from the lows they noted last week.

Vanessa Sauter posted the transcript of Carter Page’s testimony before the House intelligence committee.

Sarah Grant summarized military commissions hearings related to the habeas petition of Brig. Gen. John Baker.

Giving context to the contempt charge filed against Baker, David Glazier provided a legal history of contempt at military commissions.

Robert Chesney and Steve Vladeck shared the National Security Law Podcast, covering developments in the Mueller investigation, military commissions news, and the ‘hybrid model’ of detainee interrogation and prosecution:

Stewart Baker posted a link to his discussion with Alan Cohn on the Wassenaar Arrangement’s attempts at regulating intrusion software.

Sarah Tate Chambers summarized developments in a sextortion case and other cybercrime cases for the Cybercrime Roundup.

In the Foreign Policy Essay, Michael Horowitz and Julia Macdonald argued that civil society groups aiming to regulate autonomous weapons should draw lesson from the anti-landmine campaign.

Stewart Baker posted the Cyberlaw Podcast, featuring an interview with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse:

Paul Rosenzweig flagged the American Bar Association’s newly released cybersecurity handbook for lawyers.

Stewart Baker shared a second episode of the Cyberlaw Podcast, featuring a live recording of a panel with Chris Krebs and Ed Felten on election cybersecurity:

Anthea Roberts explored China’s strategic use of funding for legal research.

Sauter shared the Lawfare Podcast, featuring Benjamin Wittes’ interview with Mike Duncan on his book about the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic:

Matthew Kahn highlighted Lawfare’s open intern position for the spring.

Vanessa Sauter posted a second episode of the Lawfare Podcast, featuring a discussion between Benjamin Wittes and Susan Landau on her new book “Listening In”:

Bob Bauer argued that President Trump’s attack of the justice system is symptomatic of his demagogic political instincts.

And that was the week that was.