Tag: Al Qaeda

August 7, 2022

Biden’s Assassination of al-Qaeda Leader Ayman al-Zawahiri Was Illegal

President Joe Biden’s assassination of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan was illegal under both U.S. and international law. After the CIA drone strike killed Zawahiri on August 2, Biden declared, “People around the world no longer need to fear the vicious and determined killer.” What we should fear instead is the dangerous precedent set by… Read more »

December 11, 2018

Public Pressure Could Halt US Support of Yemen War

US tax dollars are supporting Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, which has already claimed the lives of some 85,000 children, and 12 million more people are likely on the brink of starvation. As Nicholas Kristof wrote in The New York Times, “the starvation does not seem to be an accidental byproduct of war, but rather… Read more »

August 28, 2016

Abu Zubaydah: Torture’s ‘Poster Child’

Last week, Abu Zubaydah, who has been imprisoned at Guantanamo for 14 years without being charged with a crime, appeared for the first time before the U.S. military Periodic Review Board, which determines whether Guantanamo detainees will continue to be held as “enemy combatants.” Zubaydah argued he should be released because he has “no desire… Read more »

November 18, 2013

Voices From the Drone Summit

Last weekend, I participated in a panel on the illegality of drones and targeted killing off the battlefield at the conference, “Drones Around the Globe: Proliferation and Resistance,” in Washington DC. Nearly 400 people from many countries came together to gather information, protest, and develop strategies to end targeted killing by combat drones. I found… Read more »

February 19, 2013

An Interview with Marjorie Cohn about Targeted Killings

By Dennis Bernstein, Flashpoints, Pacifica Radio DB:  We continue our discussion of the revelations around a memo coming out of the Justice Department that the administration plans to keep up these assassinations and expand the program.  Joining us to take a legal look at this is Marjorie Cohn, Professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law… Read more »

June 26, 2012

Killer Drone Attacks Illegal, Counter-Productive

By Marjorie Cohn and Jeanne Mirer The Bush administration detained and tortured suspected militants; the Obama administration assassinates them. Both practices not only visit more hatred upon the United States; they are also illegal. Our laws and treaties prohibit torture. The Constitution forbids the government from depriving any person of life without due process of… Read more »

July 6, 2010

Losing in Afghanistan

Last week, the House of Representatives voted 215-210 for $33 billion to fund Barack Obama’s troop increase in Afghanistan. But there was considerable opposition to giving the President a blank check. One hundred sixty-two House members supported an amendment that would have tied the funding to a withdrawal timetable. One hundred members voted for another… Read more »

October 27, 2009

Richard Falk Delivers Keynote at NLG Convention

On October 15, Professor Richard Falk delivered the keynote address, “Imperial Wars and the Obama Presidency: The Role of Law,” at the National Lawyers Guild convention in Seattle. He was introduced by NLG president Marjorie Cohn.

March 4, 2009

Memos Provide Blueprint for Police State

Seven newly released memos from the Bush Justice Department reveal a concerted strategy to cloak the President with power to override the Constitution. The memos provide “legal” rationales for the President to suspend freedom of speech and press; order warrantless searches and seizures, including wiretaps of U.S. citizens; lock up U.S. citizens indefinitely in the… Read more »

May 8, 2008

Congressional Testimony of Marjorie Cohn on Torture Policy

Testimony of Marjorie Cohn “From the Department of Justice to Guantánamo Bay: Administration Lawyers and Administration Interrogation Rules” Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties House Judiciary Committee May 6, 2008 What does torture have in common with genocide, slavery, and wars of aggression? They are all “jus cogens.” That’s Latin for “higher… Read more »