SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
The motion comes just days after the Trump administration ordered another strike on Syrian government-allied forces, "all without ever having disclosed the president's legal justification for initiating this conflict," the group said. (Photo: Mike Maguire/flickr/cc)
A watchdog group on Monday stepped up its efforts to get the Trump administration to answer for its military strike on Syria in April.
The Protect Democracy Project filed a motion asking a judge to order several federal agencies to give expedited answers to the group's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, filed earlier this month, that sought justification for the strike.
The group sent FOIAs to the Departments of Defense, State, and Justice, requesting any documents that laid out President Donald Trump's legal basis for ordering the April 6 bombing of a Syrian government airfield. So far, only two of four Justice Department bureaus--the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC)--have honored those requests, the group said.
"Protect Democracy requested that the agencies process those FOIA requests on an expedited basis because the records sought could inform the public on an urgent federal government activity that is a matter of widespread media interest," the group's motion, filed Monday night, reads. "The president had indicated in a letter to Congress that he might escalate the conflict, and the legal basis for the strikes was of significant interest to the American public and Congress."
The motion comes just days after the Trump administration ordered another strike on Syrian government-allied forces, "all without ever having disclosed the president's legal justification for initiating this conflict," the group said. "In light of this continued military action, Protect Democracy's motion for a preliminary injunction seeks to compel all defendants to process its FOIA requests on an expedited basis, and produce all requested records (or acknowledge if there are no such records) without further delay."
"Relief is necessary to avoid the irreparable harm that would occur if the military conflict escalates further while, at the same time, the American people and their elected representatives are denied the information they need to participate in democratic debate," the motion continued.
Politico notes that the involvement of lawyers in preparing justification for the strikes "appears to have been minimal or non-existent."
The White House has previously cited a 2011 OLC memo regarding former President Barack Obama's actions in Libya as justification for the April strikes. However, critics have questioned whether that opinion could apply to the actions in Syria, which many lawmakers termed as illegal and unconstitutional.
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
A watchdog group on Monday stepped up its efforts to get the Trump administration to answer for its military strike on Syria in April.
The Protect Democracy Project filed a motion asking a judge to order several federal agencies to give expedited answers to the group's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, filed earlier this month, that sought justification for the strike.
The group sent FOIAs to the Departments of Defense, State, and Justice, requesting any documents that laid out President Donald Trump's legal basis for ordering the April 6 bombing of a Syrian government airfield. So far, only two of four Justice Department bureaus--the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC)--have honored those requests, the group said.
"Protect Democracy requested that the agencies process those FOIA requests on an expedited basis because the records sought could inform the public on an urgent federal government activity that is a matter of widespread media interest," the group's motion, filed Monday night, reads. "The president had indicated in a letter to Congress that he might escalate the conflict, and the legal basis for the strikes was of significant interest to the American public and Congress."
The motion comes just days after the Trump administration ordered another strike on Syrian government-allied forces, "all without ever having disclosed the president's legal justification for initiating this conflict," the group said. "In light of this continued military action, Protect Democracy's motion for a preliminary injunction seeks to compel all defendants to process its FOIA requests on an expedited basis, and produce all requested records (or acknowledge if there are no such records) without further delay."
"Relief is necessary to avoid the irreparable harm that would occur if the military conflict escalates further while, at the same time, the American people and their elected representatives are denied the information they need to participate in democratic debate," the motion continued.
Politico notes that the involvement of lawyers in preparing justification for the strikes "appears to have been minimal or non-existent."
The White House has previously cited a 2011 OLC memo regarding former President Barack Obama's actions in Libya as justification for the April strikes. However, critics have questioned whether that opinion could apply to the actions in Syria, which many lawmakers termed as illegal and unconstitutional.
A watchdog group on Monday stepped up its efforts to get the Trump administration to answer for its military strike on Syria in April.
The Protect Democracy Project filed a motion asking a judge to order several federal agencies to give expedited answers to the group's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, filed earlier this month, that sought justification for the strike.
The group sent FOIAs to the Departments of Defense, State, and Justice, requesting any documents that laid out President Donald Trump's legal basis for ordering the April 6 bombing of a Syrian government airfield. So far, only two of four Justice Department bureaus--the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC)--have honored those requests, the group said.
"Protect Democracy requested that the agencies process those FOIA requests on an expedited basis because the records sought could inform the public on an urgent federal government activity that is a matter of widespread media interest," the group's motion, filed Monday night, reads. "The president had indicated in a letter to Congress that he might escalate the conflict, and the legal basis for the strikes was of significant interest to the American public and Congress."
The motion comes just days after the Trump administration ordered another strike on Syrian government-allied forces, "all without ever having disclosed the president's legal justification for initiating this conflict," the group said. "In light of this continued military action, Protect Democracy's motion for a preliminary injunction seeks to compel all defendants to process its FOIA requests on an expedited basis, and produce all requested records (or acknowledge if there are no such records) without further delay."
"Relief is necessary to avoid the irreparable harm that would occur if the military conflict escalates further while, at the same time, the American people and their elected representatives are denied the information they need to participate in democratic debate," the motion continued.
Politico notes that the involvement of lawyers in preparing justification for the strikes "appears to have been minimal or non-existent."
The White House has previously cited a 2011 OLC memo regarding former President Barack Obama's actions in Libya as justification for the April strikes. However, critics have questioned whether that opinion could apply to the actions in Syria, which many lawmakers termed as illegal and unconstitutional.