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Dissent NewsWire
September 23, 2021
The January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is one of the most shameful events in American history. And whether it was the culmination of an authoritarian president grasping at power, a reaction to disinformation and unfounded claims of voter
September 22, 2021
Two decades ago, the US embarked on a “Global War on Terror.” As Americans mark this grim anniversary, we are forced to confront the still unfolding legacy of the War on Terror. Much of these conversations have focused on a
September 20, 2021
Dear President Joseph Biden, Twenty years ago today, your predecessor signed into law an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Many in Congress understood themselves as voting for the impending
September 14, 2021
Terrorism is not contagious. It seems like an obvious statement, but it’s one belied by language about “terrorist radicalization.” National security discourse continually resurrects the myth that there is a traceable path to terrorism that starts with adoption of ideology
September 13, 2021
John Kiriakou is the only person imprisoned in connection with the CIA torture program. John didn’t participate in the program, he blew the whistle on it. His crime was that he was the first person to publicly confirm that the
September 10, 2021
As we mark 20 years since 9/11, much ink will be spilled about the country’s trajectory since that tragic day. But if the national reaction to the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan is any indication, the country, or at least
August 16, 2021
Just days after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, Congress overwhelmingly passed a joint resolution “to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States” (AUMF). While many members
August 12, 2021
In the one year since Americans took to the streets in historic numbers amid a global pandemic to stand up for Black lives in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, their persistent, loud and clear voices – and organizing efforts
August 11, 2021
This week marks 76 years since the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japanese cities. (Friday was the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima; Monday was the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki.) We remember the victims of Hiroshima and
August 5, 2021
Today, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Congressman David Price (D-NC), and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), along with more than 70 members of Congress, delivered a letter to President Biden calling for the immediate closure of the prison at Naval Station Guantanamo
August 4, 2021
Our schools are battlegrounds. At least, that’s how DHS sees them. Letting the national security state run rampant through schools creates what Nicole Nguyen calls “school securitization.” Students, socialized into a world of threats around every corner, learn to fear
July 29, 2021
For a decade, activists from the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition have fought on the front lines to oppose further expansion of what they term the “stalker state.” Members of the Coalition join us to deconstruct national security mythology and reappraise
July 27, 2021
Washington, D.C. – Earlier today, Defending Rights & Dissent observers were present in court when drone whistleblower Daniel Hale gave an eloquent statement to the judge before being sentenced to 45 months in prison. In his statement, Hale told the
July 22, 2021
Why are Muslim-led organizations leading the fight against Biden’s anti-white supremacy counterterrorism strategy? Because his strategy just reheats the CVE program, an insidious form of psychological warfare that has deeply harmed Muslim communities. As the national security state strong-armed community
July 19, 2021
We applaud the repatriation of Abdul Latif Nasser, who was detained at Guantanamo for 19 years without charge. Nasser was cleared for release from the prison camp in July, 2016 but has languished there for over 4 years awaiting transfer