It's the most wonderful time of the year! Or at least it's the most wonderful time of the week, for we've just posted the latest episode of National Security Law Podcast! Tune in for: Military Commissions -- Things are coming to a head in the al-Nashiri case in connection with a slew of questions arising from the fact that the previously-presiding judge for several years was pursuing appointment as an Immigration Judge. Iranians Indicted and Sanctioned for Ransomware Attacks -- We've got coordinated action from the Justice and Treasury Departments, though not custody over the defendants. Trumplandia -- From Flynn's cooperation to Cohen's false statements to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, it's been an awfully busy week in Trumplandia. Meanwhile, the question of whether AG Whitaker is truly the AG has a small chance of coming to SCOTUS much sooner than most expected. NSD Update -- A U.S. Army Sergeant receives a 25-year sentence in a particularly-scary material-support to the Islamic State case. Whereas run-of-the-mill 2339B cases involving the Islamic State tend to involve people who are trying to go abroad to join IS, this fellow was well-armed and had a stated intent to kill people right there in Hawaii. The Senate Resolution on Withdrawing US Forces from Hostilities in Yemen -- That bill is suddenly moving in the Senate thanks to increasing angst about the weak White House response to the Khashoggi torture-murder, raising the question whether that momentum can actually result in veto-proof legislation emerging in both houses--not to mention whether it would actually compel any particular change to current U.S. military support to the Saudi coalition given the standard executive branch interpretation of "hostilities." And then the real fun begins: College Football Playoff (and Sugar Bowl) predictions. We don't agree on anything, it turns out. This has the happy effect, of course, of ensuring we get at least some predictions right!
No persons identified in this episode.