Sam Sacks - page 24

The Obama administration is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit brought against it, which alleges that the military campaign against the Islamic State (ISIL) is being illegally waged. In court filings this week, Department of Justice lawyers argued that the current war effort against ISIL—known as Operation Inherent Resolve—does not violate the War Powers Act. The 1973 law restricts the President’s powers to commit the US military to a sustained armed conflict for more than 60 days without Congressional approval. The legislature has yet to formally… Keep Reading

A federal court has for the first time dismissed evidence obtained using a cell site simulator, ruling that the government must obtain a warrant before employing the surveillance technology. Also known as a “stingrays,” the gadgets are in wide use by federal and local police to track down suspects based on their cell phone information. They are often mounted on an airplane and flown over a community, pinging cell phones below until pinpointing the location of a target. In the case before US District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan… Keep Reading

The number of detainees remaining at the Guantanamo Bay prison facility dropped to 76 this week, following the transfers of two prisoners to the Government of Serbia. The Pentagon announced the transfers of Tajik national, Muhammadi Davlatov, and Yemeni-born Mansur Ahmad Saad al-Dayfi in a statement on Monday. The men had been imprisoned at Guantanamo since 2002. One of the detainees, al-Dayfi was cleared for transfer last October, after an inter-agency review board overturned a prior determination in 2010 that he was too dangerous for… Keep Reading

During a surprise visit to the Iraqi capital on Monday, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced the deployment of 560 more US troops to the country, ahead of what could be a critical battle against the Islamic State (ISIL). The new influx of soldiers will primarily take up position near the town of Qayyarah, at an airfield recently recaptured by Iraqi security forces. The base is roughly 40 miles south of Mosul—one of the largest cities held by ISIL, when it was captured in 2014. “These additional US… Keep Reading

Days after he recommended no charges against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, FBI Director James Comey was called before a House oversight panel on Thursday to defend his decision. House Republicans seized on the proceedings to highlight several inaccurate statements made by Clinton regarding her private email server—including false claims to Congress that may warrant another FBI investigation. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the Chairman of the House Government and Government Reform Committee, mentioned Clinton’s testimony before the Benghazi investigatory committee last October. During her… Keep Reading

The number of US soldiers who will remain in Afghanistan by the year’s end was upwardly revised, once again, by President Obama, who warned that gains by the Taliban and terrorist organizations continue to threaten the stability of the country. In a statement issued from the Roosevelt Room on Wednesday, the President said he would leave 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan “into next year through the end of [his] administration.”  Obama said he made the decision based on recommendations from top military brass and his national security… Keep Reading

FBI Director James Comey stated on Tuesday his that agency is not recommending for any criminal charges to be brought against Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server while Secretary of State. Though sparing Clinton of formal charges, Comey did put forward a scathing rebuke of her email practices as the nation’s top diplomat. “Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence… Keep Reading