Brian Finucane
@bcfinucane.bsky.social
Senior Adviser, US Program, International Crisis Group. Editor at Just Security. Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Reiss Center on Law and Security at NYU Law. Ex State Dept Lawyer. War Powers| Use of Force| Counterterrorism| Law of War| War Crimes| Arms Sales
Pinned
Upending the International Order
Through both word and deed, President Trump has been aggressively undermining the rule of law internationally.
www.justsecurity.org
As I wrote last spring:
"In short, the United States behaving as a predatory hegemon unconstrained by the UN Charter and threatening other states with territorial conquest...may spur more countries to acquire their own atomic insurance policies."
www.justsecurity.org/109537/upend...
"In short, the United States behaving as a predatory hegemon unconstrained by the UN Charter and threatening other states with territorial conquest...may spur more countries to acquire their own atomic insurance policies."
www.justsecurity.org/109537/upend...
Reposted by Brian Finucane
Yesterday we learned that the Department of Justice is monitoring and tracking members of Congress’s searches of the Epstein files. There’s no sugar coating it: the administration is spying on lawmakers as they exercise their constitutional oversight responsibilities. 1/10
February 12, 2026 at 6:56 PM
Yesterday we learned that the Department of Justice is monitoring and tracking members of Congress’s searches of the Epstein files. There’s no sugar coating it: the administration is spying on lawmakers as they exercise their constitutional oversight responsibilities. 1/10
When politics dictates the science
BREAKING: The EPA revokes scientific finding that greenhouse gases endanger the public health, removing a key basis for the climate change fight.
Live updates: Trump's EPA revokes scientific finding that underpinned US fight against climate change
The Trump administration revoked a scientific finding at the center of U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change, a significant rollback of regulations.
bit.ly
February 12, 2026 at 7:45 PM
When politics dictates the science
all about the content
February 12, 2026 at 5:46 PM
all about the content
👀
JUST IN: Judge BOASBERG has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of Venezuelan men illegally deported under the Alien Enemies Act and who are currently in countries other than Venezuela.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 12, 2026 at 4:27 PM
👀
Reminded of a journalist asking me after Trump confirmed the existence of a new covert action finding for Venezuela whether it was normal for the US President to publicly discuss such matters.
"No, that's not normal." 3/n
"No, that's not normal." 3/n
February 12, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Reminded of a journalist asking me after Trump confirmed the existence of a new covert action finding for Venezuela whether it was normal for the US President to publicly discuss such matters.
"No, that's not normal." 3/n
"No, that's not normal." 3/n
how times change
February 12, 2026 at 4:19 PM
how times change
I read this as the administration boasting through authorized disclosures about covert action.
Query whether bragging about the role of the US government here is helpful to protesters in Iran.
There might have been a reason to keep this covert. 2/n
Query whether bragging about the role of the US government here is helpful to protesters in Iran.
There might have been a reason to keep this covert. 2/n
February 12, 2026 at 4:12 PM
I read this as the administration boasting through authorized disclosures about covert action.
Query whether bragging about the role of the US government here is helpful to protesters in Iran.
There might have been a reason to keep this covert. 2/n
Query whether bragging about the role of the US government here is helpful to protesters in Iran.
There might have been a reason to keep this covert. 2/n
🧵
"The Trump administration covertly sent thousands of Starlink terminals into Iran after the regime’s brutal crackdown on demonstrations last month, U.S. officials said, an effort to keep dissidents online following Tehran’s stifling of internet access." 1/n
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
"The Trump administration covertly sent thousands of Starlink terminals into Iran after the regime’s brutal crackdown on demonstrations last month, U.S. officials said, an effort to keep dissidents online following Tehran’s stifling of internet access." 1/n
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Exclusive | U.S. Smuggled Thousands of Starlink Terminals Into Iran After Protest Crackdown
The Trump administration covertly sent terminals into Iran in an effort to keep dissidents online following Tehran’s stifling of internet access.
www.wsj.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:12 PM
🧵
"The Trump administration covertly sent thousands of Starlink terminals into Iran after the regime’s brutal crackdown on demonstrations last month, U.S. officials said, an effort to keep dissidents online following Tehran’s stifling of internet access." 1/n
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
"The Trump administration covertly sent thousands of Starlink terminals into Iran after the regime’s brutal crackdown on demonstrations last month, U.S. officials said, an effort to keep dissidents online following Tehran’s stifling of internet access." 1/n
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
US Senator apparently unsure about this whole Bill of Rights thing.
RON JOHNSON: Did you ever encourage people to go out there and exercise their First Amendment rights?
KEITH ELLISON: I freely admit being in favor of the First Amendment
KEITH ELLISON: I freely admit being in favor of the First Amendment
February 12, 2026 at 3:25 PM
US Senator apparently unsure about this whole Bill of Rights thing.
My take is that DHS does not yet have the manpower to conduct multiple assaults on US cities of this scale at the same time. Hence, they are conducting them serially.
Will be interested if that changes with ICE surging recruiting.
Welcome other thoughts.
Will be interested if that changes with ICE surging recruiting.
Welcome other thoughts.
February 12, 2026 at 2:39 PM
My take is that DHS does not yet have the manpower to conduct multiple assaults on US cities of this scale at the same time. Hence, they are conducting them serially.
Will be interested if that changes with ICE surging recruiting.
Welcome other thoughts.
Will be interested if that changes with ICE surging recruiting.
Welcome other thoughts.
So, taking the caravan of domestic political repression back on the road.
Homan: "Operation Metro Surge is ending. In the next week, we're going to deploy the officers here on detail back to their home stations or to other areas of the country where they're needed."
February 12, 2026 at 2:31 PM
So, taking the caravan of domestic political repression back on the road.
My "we're not disappearing people and denying people their civil rights" T-shirt has people asking a lot of questions already answered by my shirt.
Homan: "ICE is a legitimate federal law enforcement agency. We're not out scouring the streets to disappear people or deny people their civil rights or due process."
February 12, 2026 at 2:30 PM
My "we're not disappearing people and denying people their civil rights" T-shirt has people asking a lot of questions already answered by my shirt.
Given news that US forces will (finally) withdraw from al-Tanf garrison in Syria, reposting my @foreignaffairs.com essay from 2022 on how multiple US administrations played games with the law to conduct military operations in that country.
www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/syr...
www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/syr...
An Unauthorized War
The list of adversaries U.S. forces are fighting in Syria raises questions about the underlying legal rationales for the U.S. deployment.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 12, 2026 at 2:26 PM
Given news that US forces will (finally) withdraw from al-Tanf garrison in Syria, reposting my @foreignaffairs.com essay from 2022 on how multiple US administrations played games with the law to conduct military operations in that country.
www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/syr...
www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/syr...
There were comprehensive proposals to deal with the national emergencies and WPR problems.
Worth reviving both of them.
Worth reviving both of them.
February 12, 2026 at 5:26 AM
There were comprehensive proposals to deal with the national emergencies and WPR problems.
Worth reviving both of them.
Worth reviving both of them.
Yup. Worked on the Demjanjuk case.
February 12, 2026 at 3:20 AM
Yup. Worked on the Demjanjuk case.
Glad to hear GTFO Al Tanf may have finally carried the day.
February 12, 2026 at 3:19 AM
Glad to hear GTFO Al Tanf may have finally carried the day.
Saw the first and last in the theater. Both fantastic.
February 12, 2026 at 3:12 AM
Saw the first and last in the theater. Both fantastic.
Been thinking about vows of accountability by the Allies long before Nuremberg.
February 12, 2026 at 3:02 AM
Been thinking about vows of accountability by the Allies long before Nuremberg.
Hopefully this will inspire serious congressional action on national emergencies reform down the road (eg sunsets).
February 12, 2026 at 2:59 AM
Hopefully this will inspire serious congressional action on national emergencies reform down the road (eg sunsets).
How do you enforce/reinforce the law?
Impose consequences for violating it.
Time to start thinking creatively about accountability.
Impose consequences for violating it.
Time to start thinking creatively about accountability.
February 12, 2026 at 2:54 AM
How do you enforce/reinforce the law?
Impose consequences for violating it.
Time to start thinking creatively about accountability.
Impose consequences for violating it.
Time to start thinking creatively about accountability.