The shifting legal framework governing the interrogation of detainees held by the U.S. Government was examined in several newly updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not previously been made readily available to the public (all pdf).
“Interrogation of Detainees: Requirements of the Detainee Treatment Act,” updated January 23, 2009.
“U.N. Convention Against Torture (CAT): Overview and Application to Interrogation Techniques,” updated January 26, 2009.
“The U.N. Convention Against Torture: Overview of U.S. Implementation Policy Concerning the Removal of Aliens,” updated January 21, 2009.
“The War Crimes Act: Current Issues,” updated January 22, 2009.
“Renditions: Constraints Imposed by Laws on Torture,” updated January 22, 2009.
No one will be surprised if we end up with a continuing resolution to push our shutdown deadline out past the midterms, so the real question is what else will they get done this summer?
Rebuilding public participation starts with something simple — treating the public not as a problem to manage, but as a source of ingenuity government cannot function without.
If the government wants a system of learning and adaptation that improves results in real time, it has to treat translation, utilization, and adaptation as core functions of governance rather than as afterthoughts.
Coordination among federal science agencies is essential to ensure government-wide alignment on R&D investment priorities. However, the federal R&D enterprise suffers from egregious siloization.