U.S. v. Al Bahlul: Where It’s Been and Where It’s Going
On November 13, 2001 then-President George W. Bush issued a military order that would forever be remembered. His military order “called for the [S]ecretary of [D]efense to detain non-citizens accused of international terrorism.” Specially, the order applied to members of al Qaeda, and “all those who have engaged in, aided, or conspired to commit international terrorist acts against the United States or its citizens.” The Secretary of Defense “[was] charged with establishing military tribunals (also called military commissions) to conduct trials of non-citizens accused of terrorism either in the United States or in other parts of the world.” Then-President Bush’s military order created the United States (U.S.) Military Commissions that have been the center of continued national and international criticism.
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The Hidden Cost of Drone Combat: Soldiers’ Mental Health
While policymakers may argue that military drone combat presents no risk to American forces, the battle scars for drone operators are more psychological than physical. We should support the mental health of those soldiers we task with operating drones.
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