Today's Headlines and Commentary

President Trump on Thursday acknowledged that missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is likely dead, according to the Wall Street Journal. While Trump remained adamant that Saudi Arabia should be considered innocent until proven guilty, he also said that those found responsible for Khashoggi’s death would face “very severe” consequences.

Afghan elections are delayed following a wave of violence that most recently left two top Afghan security officials dead, reports the Washington Post. Abdul Raziq served as a provincial police commander, and was regarded as one of the most influential, anti-Taliban officials in the country. Abdul Momin served as a provincial intelligence chief. The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Austin Miller, was present at the meeting when Raziq and Momin were killed, but said he was not a target of the attack.

Britain released radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary from prison on Friday despite protests from prison officials that he is “genuinely dangerous” to public safety, according to the New York Times. Choudary was convicted in 2016 for inspiring support for the Islamic State in Britain. He was known by counterterrorism officials for being “particularly violent” and “particularly good” at recruiting. Choudary was released on strict probation following good behavior halfway through his five-year sentence.

The United States announced it will merge its Jerusalem consulate with the recently relocated U.S. embassy, reports the Journal. The Jerusalem consulate had primarily served a Palestinian population, and Palestinian officials say its closure marks the latest blow by the Trump administration to the cause of Palestinian independence. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated the closure was a matter of efficiency, and that a Palestinian Affairs unit will be created and run out of the old consulate building to conduct reporting and programming in the Palestinian Territories.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday that the Islamic State has captured around 700 hostages in portions of Syria controlled by U.S.-backed rebel forces, reports Reuters. A Pentagon spokesperson cast doubt on the report, saying the U.S. is “skeptical of its accuracy.”

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Nicholas Weaver argued the U.S. government should better protect itself from supply-chain attacks like the one alleged in the recent Bloomberg article.

Nathaniel Sobel investigated how lower courts are interpreting the Carpenter ruling.

Gabriel Schoenfeld reviewed Greg Miller’s book “The Apprentice: Trump, Russia, and the Subversion of American Democracy.”

Darren E. Tromblay explained why the FBI’s Criminal Information Sharing Division should be moved to the Department of Homeland Security.

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