Today's Headlines and Commentary

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has officially accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency, becoming the first woman to become a major party nominee in the United States. Clinton portrayed herself as the safe and reliable alternative to her Republican opponent Donald Trump, pledging to unite the country in the face of troubles at home and abroad. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have more.

The Washington Post reports that hackers associated with the Russian government have been accused of breaching the computers of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The intrusion appeared to be carried out by the same Russian intelligence service that hacked the Democratic National Committee earlier this year, leading one cybersecurity expert to warn that the hack is, “definitely part of a much, much broader campaign that is yet to fully be publicly revealed.” There is a growing consensus that Kremlin may be attempting to meddle in the U.S. electoral process to an unprecedented degree.

But Director of National Intelligence James Clapper cautioned that, while U.S. intelligence services are in some “version of war” with their Russian counterparts, it is too soon to blame the Kremlin for hacking the DNC’s emails. Clapper was at the Aspen Security Forum when he said that the intelligence community was not ready to make a call on attribution. He added that “We don't know enough to ascribe motivation regardless of who it might have been.”

After weeks of buildup, Al Qaeda’s Syrian franchise Jabhat al Nusra announced on Thursday that it is finally severing its ties with the global jihadist network. In the first known video statement ever to show his face, the leader of the Nusra Front, Mohamad al-Golani, declared that the group would relaunch under a new name, with "no ties with any foreign party." The move was being made "to remove the excuse used by the international community—spearheaded by America and Russia—to bombard and displace Muslims in the Levant: that they are targeting the Nusra Front which is associated with al Qaeda," he said. The group will now be called Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. Reuters has more.

Jabhat al Nusra’s split with al Qaeda comes as a blow to the United States’ efforts to build closer ties with Russia in Syria, Reuters writes. Although one U.S. official called the split "a change in name only," the move complicates an American proposal to limit the Russians and Syrians to targeting only Nusra and ISIS, rather than Syrian rebel groups supported by Washington and its allies.

NBC News reports that Washington’s efforts to build a partnership with Moscow have taken another hit from the Syrian regime’s ongoing siege of Aleppo. With Syrian forces having closed off all the major roads leading into Aleppo and called for all residents to leave the city, the siege poses a brewing humanitarian crisis. State Department spokesman Admiral John Kirby said the United States was “deeply concerned” by this development and had not been consulted on the operation, adding that any offensive operation would be "inconsistent with the spirit and the letter" of U.N. resolutions and with Washington's understanding with the Russians.

The U.S. military acknowledged on Thursday night that another round of coalition airstrikes in Manbij, an Islamic State stronghold in northern Syria, may have led to even more civilian casualties. Coalition airstrikes reportedly killed at least 73 civilians in Manbij last week in an incident that is now under formal investigation by the US military. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 28 civilians were killed in the latest strike, along with 13 other people who may have been ISIS fighters.

Al Jazeera examines a proposal by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi to integrate the Popular Mobilization Forces—or Shia militias—into Iraq’s armed forces. Though the units have become an integral component of the Iraqi government’s strategy against the Islamic State, they have been tainted by accusations of widespread human rights abuse. This initiative would require the militia to be subject to military rule and delinked from any political cause.

The New York Times profiles the powerful stabilizing role Turkey’s military has historically played in the country, examining how this institution’s legitimacy and unity has crumbled in the aftermath of the botched coup attempt on July 15. The military is expected to undergo major reforms as hundreds of top officials—many of whom are suspected of being part of a movement associated with the cleric Fetullah Gulen—are being replaced. Analysts and critics of the government worry that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will replace these officers with sycophants. The Wall Street Journal has more on how Erdogan plans to consolidate power and tighten his leash over the military.

Turkey’s foreign and justice ministers are slated to travel to the United States to demand the extradition of Gulen, the alleged mastermind behind the abortive coup attempt. Turkish officials say they regard the evidence of Gulen’s complicity as overwhelming, and that any failure by the US to cooperate with the extradition will have long-term consequences for Turkish-US diplomatic relations. American officials have remained skeptical about evidence of Gulen’s involvement. The Guardian has more.

General John Nicholson, the senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan, announced that five U.S. soldiers have been injured in the fight against the Islamic State in eastern Afghanistan. This appears to be the first reported instance of US troops being wounded in fighting ISIS in Afghanistan. The casualties occurred during a counter-terrorism operation in which Afghan forces have recaptured ground previously held by the Islamic State, following US airstrikes.

But despite enhanced U.S. military support over the past month, Afghan security forces are still struggling against a resilient Taliban. Though the Afghan forces have been more effective in defending territory this year after a disastrous 2015, they have struggled to reverse the insurgents’ gains. According to NBC News, General Nicholson said the number of Afghan soldiers and police killed this year is roughly 20 percent higher than at the same time last year. The New York Times has more.

The Associated Press reports that the United Nations is suspending aid to dangerous areas of Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, where a half million people are starving, following a Boko Haram ambush of a humanitarian convoy. According to Nigerian and UN officials, three humanitarian workers and two soldiers were wounded.

The AP also broadcasts a pledge by Japanese foreign minister Fumio Kishida to spend $120 million to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts in Africa. He told the U.N. Security Council that the money from Tokyo will be used to strengthen information and data collection in Africa, enhance border controls with cutting-edge technology, and strengthen criminal justice enforcement among other things.

The Israeli government’s plans to build new units in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, along with a spate of home demolitions in Palestinian areas over the past week, have drawn sharp criticism from the Obama administration, the Washington Post reports. The State Department issued a pointed statement lambasting Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s right-wing government at a time when Israeli and U.S. diplomats are in the midst of re-negotiating a multibillion-dollar military aid package for Israel.

The Post also tells us that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has insisted that Berlin continue to fulfill its moral duty of providing sanctuary for refugees in need. Merkel’s statement comes after a series of high-profile terrorist strikes that have rocked the nation. But in her first major address since the tragedies of the past few weeks, Merkel also called for an enhanced Internet surveillance program and an evaluation of the country’s screening process to filter would-be terrorists more effectively.

In an interview with Le Monde, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls suggested that he was “open” to a temporary ban on foreign funding of French mosques in the wake of a string of terror attacks across Europe. He went on to say that France “needs to invent a new relationship with Islam.” Politico has more.

A US citizen was among the nine suspected militants killed in a gun battle with Bangladeshi police in Dhaka this Tuesday, the Post reports. Shazad Rouf, a Bangladeshi-American student, had gone missing in February. His father stated that “we never got any indication” that Rouf had become sympathetic to extremism before his disappearance.

A former Guantanamo detainee who was resettled in Uruguay, only to disappear last month, has finally resurfaced in Venezuela. The AP updates us on the story of Abu Wa’el Dhiab, a Syrian who arrived in Uruguay in 2014. Officials at the Syrian consulate in Caracas, where Dhiab reappeared, refused to provide information on his whereabouts over the past month.

ICYMI: Yesterday, on Lawfare

Ellen Scholl scanned the globe for another edition of Hot Commodities.

Bruce Schneier warned readers that Russian hackers just might be able to target voting machines on election day.

Susan Hennessey and Nicholas Weaver offered a judicial framework for evaluating network investigative strategies.

Stewart Baker posted the latest episode of the Steptoe Cyberlaw podcast, in which the gang discusses Russia’s alleged hack of the DNC.

Matt Tait both urged the U.S. government to attribute the DNC hack to Russia publicly and also offered some suggestions for how Washington should respond.

Nora Ellingsen continued Lawfare’s coverage of the ongoing 9/11 trials in Guantanamo Bay.

Paul Rosenzweig flagged a recent conclusion by the National Institute for Standards and Technology that two-factor authentication through SMS messaging is no longer considered sufficiently secure.

Peter Margulies suggested that Israel has largely succeeded in ensuring that its investigations of alleged violations of the law of armed conflict are independent from the chain of command.

Quinta Jurecic reflected on President Obama’s speech at the DNC Convention.

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