Today's Headlines and Commentary

The United States Cyber Command is engaging in its first cyber-operation against Russia with the goal of protecting U.S. elections, reports the New York Times. Cyber Command is reportedly targeting individual Russian operatives to tell them that they have been identified and their work is being tracked. U.S. officials say the operation is part of a larger campaign to dismantle Russian influence in elections.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech on Tuesday that the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was premeditated by Saudi Arabia; Erdogan’s first extended remarks on the case indicate a willingness to press the Saudis for the truth of Khashoggi’s murder, says the Times.

The Human Rights Watch published a report on Tuesday that accused both the Palestinian Authority, in the West Bank, and the Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza, of perpetrating abuses against dissenters, says the Times. The groups’ practice of torture may be prosecutable in the International Criminal Court as a crime against humanity.

The U.S. intends to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty with Russia, but National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Monday that Washington would confer with its European and Asian allies before a formal decision is presented to Russia, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Two U.S. warships travelled through the Taiwan Strait in a freedom of navigation maneuver, says the Journal. Such maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait may antagonize Beijing as they are seen as tacit support for the island’s independence.

Both Rod Rosenstein and George Papadopoulos are scheduled to testify in closed-door hearings before the House Judiciary and Oversight committees this week, says the Washington Post. This hearing marks the first time Papadopoulos will speak to congressional investigators.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is caught in a dilemma as a caravan of Central American migrants moves through Mexico; Obrador campaigned on a gentler approach to immigration, but President Trump threatens to seal the border, stop trade or cut off aid if the caravan is not stopped, according to the Post.

ICYMI: Last Weekend on Lawfare

Evelyn Douek analyzed Facebook’s role in the vicious campaign against the Rohingya people in Myanmar, and the ongoing debate surrounding Facebook’s obligations with regard to hate speech and disinformation.

Victoria Clark posted the Week That Will Be, Lawfare’s roundup of event announcements and employment opportunities.

Steven Ratner argued that Saudi Arabia violated two core tenets of international law in its murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

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