Amnesty International
Naureen Shah is the director of national security and human rights at Amnesty International.
She is a former lecturer at Columbia Law School, where she served as associate director of the Counterterrorism and Human Rights Project at its Human Rights Institute.
Guantanamo Bay, Unmanned Drones and the Fight against Terror As today's live broadcast begins, President Obama is addressing national security at the National Defense University in Washington. In a lengthy briefing prior to the speech, aides outlined his renewed intention to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay and his plans to establish new rules for the use of unmanned drones for targeted killings. The President said that, while terrorism is a threat that will always be with us, it's not a reason for perpetual war. With US troops leaving Afghanistan, and al Qaeda leadership decimated since the attacks of September 11, he said it's time to refocus American strategy. Will today's speech win support from a divided Congress?
Targeted Killings, Drones and the Role of the CIA Targeted killing of terrorist leaders was controversial when President Bush adopted the practice in the aftermath of September 11. With almost no public discussion, President Obama has expanded the practice, using unmanned drones. It's a cheap way to get rid of terrorist leaders, but mistakes and civilian casualties can be costly in more ways than one. We look at how the policy has developed and how it could change the role of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Targeted Killings, Drones and the Role of the CIA Targeted killing of terrorist leaders was controversial when President Bush adopted the practice in the aftermath of September 11. Barack Obama has widely expanded the practice, using unmanned drones. Rather than through acts of Congress, much less the courts, it's been driven by drone technology, and the President alone decides who lives or who dies. The CIA carries out his decisions, and it wants more drones. Mitt Romney endorsed targeted killing in Monday's debate on foreign policy. Is the intelligence agency becoming an unmanned air force? The kill-list has grown way beyond al Qaeda leaders who were the original targets. Will drone technology encourage engagement in permanent war?
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?