The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Race Against Terror: Chasing an al-Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War
English Summary
The publication argues that effective counter-terrorism efforts rely less on military action and more on robust legal processes to secure convictions. Using the case of an al-Qaeda agent, the analysis demonstrates that civilian criminal courts are significantly more effective than military commissions in prosecuting terrorists, despite the lengthy demands of due process. The key finding is that securing justice requires meticulous evidence gathering and adherence to established legal frameworks, rather than relying solely on battlefield capture. Policymakers should therefore prioritize the development of international legal cooperation and judicial mechanisms to ensure accountability for terrorist actors.
中文摘要
該出版物論點指出，有效的反恐努力不應過度依賴軍事行動，而應更側重於健全的法律程序以確保定罪。透過分析一個基地組織（al-Qaeda）成員的案例，研究證明，即使正當法律程序要求耗時，平民刑事法院在起訴恐怖分子方面也比軍事法庭更為有效。其核心發現是，實現正義需要的是嚴謹的證據收集和對既定法律框架的遵循，而非僅僅依賴戰場俘獲。因此，政策制定者應優先發展國際法律合作和司法機制，以確保對恐怖分子行為的問責制。
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