Today's Headlines and Commentary

Today’s news post is shorter than usual. Our normal coverage will resume on Monday.

The president will not block the publication of a controversial memo alleging intelligence abuses within federal law enforcement, the Washington Post reports.

Paul Ryan did not push back against publishing the memo in response to calls from Democratic leadership for Rep. Devin Nunes, the memo’s author, to be removed as chairman of the House intelligence committee. The Post’s editorial board comments.

Meanwhile, the White House is growing frustrated with the Pentagon’s reticence to provide more options for military action against North Korea. The New York Times has more.

The growing tension between Pyongyang and Washington makes protecting this month’s winter Olympics in South Korea an uncertain task, explains the Times.

As the Trump administration forces European countries to shoulder a greater portion of their own defense needs, the European Commission is preparing legal action against member states for anticompetitive military contracts, says the Wall Street Journal.

Mike Pompeo, the CIA director, said there was nothing inappropriate about his meetings with two Russian intelligence chiefs in the U.S. last week, but he sidestepped questions about how the officials, who are targets of sanctions against Russia, were able to lawfully enter the country. Politico has the story.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Jacob Zenn explained al-Qaeda’s role in the formation of Boko Haram.

Matt Waxman wrote about the legal considerations of threatening the use of force against North Korea.

Benjamin Wittes posted this week’s Rational Security, the “State of the #Memo” edition.

Bobby Chesney and Steve Vladeck shared this week’s episode of the National Security Law Podcast.

Gen. Michael Hayden asked why the chiefs of intelligence agencies have been so silent about the Nunes memo.

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