In case you were off the grid last week, I thought to briefly recap our series of year-end posts, and some of the online reactions to them.
1. Previewing the coming year, Jen Daskal wrote, “Top 10 National Security Cases to Watch in 2015.”
These cases includes issues that will be of interest to folks working on the Hill (e.g., section 215 surveillance reform), in private companies (e.g., the Microsoft litigation), in the Executive branch (e.g., No Fly List) and elsewhere. Jen’s post appears to have struck a chord with many, as indicated in tweets by Microsoft’s Brad Smith, the Miami Herald’s Carol Rosenberg, and the ACLU’s Hina Shamsi.
2. In reflection on 2014, Steve Vladeck posted, “14 National Security Law ‘Heroes’ in 2014.”
The heroes whom Steve identified include an array of individuals and organizations—from Raj De and Bob Litt to whistleblowers Robert MacLean and John Tye, and several others. I don’t want to list them all because it’s important to read each one in the context that Steve provides. We also asked readers to suggest other individuals and groups who should have been on the list. The most popular recommendation: the U.S. Navy nurse who conscientiously objected to continuing to force-feed Guantanamo detainees.
3. Also in reflection on 2014, Beth Van Schaack provided a tour-de-force post: “Top 10 Year in Review: International Criminal Justice.”
Beth covers major issues over the past year and the current status of important cases and institutional developments in international criminal justice. Notably Beth’s post appeared on the same day as Palestine’s announcement that it would make a bid to join the International Criminal Court. Beth’s post begins with that development and examines Just Security’s past coverage of the issue. If interested in the topic, also be sure to read David Luban’s careful and subtle analysis of Palestine’s situation before the ICC in a post we published Friday. And watch this space, as we’ve invited a post from Prof. Rob Howse after he tweeted that he had a different take than David’s on who gets to decide whether Palestine is a “State” before the ICC.
4. Fionnuala Ní Aoláin posted a powerful and sobering, “Top Ten Gender and Security Issues of 2014.”
Fionnuala draws attention to some of the less well known issues at the intersection of gender and national security, as well as issues that made the headlines. For students of international law and international relations who are seeking an interesting and important topic to research—read this post. For those working the frontlines of these issues, I like how one reader tweeted it: The post is essentially “2015’s 2 do list.”
@NiAolainF provides a list of the "Top Ten Gender and Security Issues of 2014" 2015's 2 do list #resolutions2015 http://t.co/cYuUoCj3ng
— Rebecca Graham (@becca579) January 1, 2015
5. Finally, we published, “The 20 Most Popular Posts at Just Security in 2014.”
The list is populated by several Just Security editors and guest authors and covers a wide range of topics—including torture, drones, surveillance, intervention in Syria, cyberattacks, and more. We are ever grateful to our guest authors for their contributions to Just Security, and for our readers who were interested in our coverage of the issues.
As we tweeted at midnight on Jan 1: We wish all our readers a Happy New Year—may it be more just and more secure.