Iraq Parliament votes to end presence of foreign forces

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In a special session on Sunday the Iraqi Parliament approved a resolution that calls for the Iraqi government to end the presence of foreign forces in the country.

The vote comes in response to a US drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassim Suleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Despite the potential difficulties associated with the removal of US troops, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi ultimately recommended removal to the Council of Representatives. The resolution was passed unanimously by the 172 members in attendance.

US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement Sunday, “while we await further clarification on the legal nature and impact of today’s resolution, we strongly urge Iraqi leaders to reconsider the importance of the ongoing economic and security relationship between the two countries and the continued presence of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.”

While explaining the decision to target Suleimani, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said in a Sunday interview that the US is preparing for several risks not only “from the proxy militias in Iraq but in the region more broadly along every vector, including cyber.”

Trump endorses criminal justice reform legislation

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US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his support for the FIRST STEP Act, which aims at reforming the prison system to better rehabilitate individuals upon re-entering society.

The Act “uses a targeted approach toward a specific population of Federal prisoners who will eventually be released,” and aims to “promote prisoner participation in vocational training, educational coursework, or faith-based programs, and in turn help them successfully reenter society.” The program would focus on job skills, drug treatment, and education.

FIRST STEP has been deemed “bipartisan” and showed overwhelming support in Congress with a 360–59 in May. Trump delivered remarks about the effect this bipartisan effort will have:

[W]e’re all better off when former inmates can receive and reenter society as law-abiding, productive citizens. And thanks to our booming economy, they now have a chance at more opportunities than they’ve ever had before. … Our pledge to hire American includes those leaving prison and looking for a very fresh start—new job, new life.

Trump also remarked on the wide-rage of support from law enforcement at every level, showing high expectations for the Act’s influence on inmate re-entry.

White House considering writing ‘brand new’ immigration order

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President Trump has said that he is considering rewriting his executive order temporarily barring refugees and citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the country, indicating that the administration may try to quickly restore some aspects of the now-frozen travel ban or replace it with other measures.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he would probably wait until Monday or Tuesday to take any action, and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said several options — including taking the case to the Supreme Court — were still on the table.

Trump hinted that the ongoing legal wrangling might move too slowly for his taste, though he thought he would ultimately prevail in court.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled unanimously Thursday that Trump’s travel ban should remain suspended, allowing people previously barred to continue entering the United States. While the judges were deciding only whether national security concerns necessitated immediately reinstating the ban — and not whether it could ultimately pass constitutional muster — their ruling put the future of Trump’s order in doubt.

White House and Justice Department officials began mulling several options as new Attorney General Jeff Sessions was briefed on the matter. They could rewrite the order in hopes that modifications would help it pass legal muster. They could ask the Supreme Court or the full 9th Circuit to intervene immediately. Or they could wage a battle in the lower courts, hoping that judges considering more squarely whether the issue ran afoul of the Constitution would land on Trump’s side.

On Friday, the White House injected an element of confusion when an official told reporters that the administration would not seek Supreme Court intervention, only to take it back and be contradicted by Priebus minutes later. Meanwhile, a 9th Circuit judge, without prompting, called for a vote to determine whether the entire court should rehear the case. The court asked for briefs from those involved in the case by Thursday.

 

 

Trump taps Jones Day lawyer for White House counsel role

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US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Jones Day partner Donald McGahn as his White House counsel.

McGahn served as general counsel to Trump’s campaign and has continued in that role for the transition since the election.