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Ryan Goodman Profile picture
@rgoodlaw
Jun 21, 2019 • 3 tweets • 2 min read • Read on X
Read this line in NYT on aborted US strike on Iran👇

1. That escalation risk is key reason Constitution demands congressional approval.
2. Trump's own Office of Legal Counsel in 2018 👇recognized "escalation" is key factor favoring American people getting a say through Congress.
1. link to NYT scoop on aborted US strike on Iran and Pentagon's warning of dangerous escalation:
nytimes.com/2019/06/20/wor…

2. link to the 2018 OLC opinion explaining why it was key in US strike on Syria that "we were advised that escalation was unlikely":
nytimes.com/2019/06/20/wor…
* Office of Legal Counsel link: justice.gov/olc/opinion/fi…

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More from @rgoodlaw

Ryan Goodman Profile picture
Jan 7
It was an honor to work with Brian Egan and Tess Bridgeman on this important piece.

- The President did not have constitutional authority for the Venezuela operation.

- It also violated the "supreme Law of the Land" - UN Charter, which the Senate passed 89-2.

1/ Image
2/ source

Congress, the President, and the Use of Military Force in Venezuela

By Brian Egan, Tess Bridgeman and Ryan Goodman

justsecurity.org/128211/congres…
3/ "Applying even the OLC’s expansive view from its recent opinions to Operation Absolute Resolve, the Executive action clearly crosses the threshold for requiring congressional authorization."
Read 5 tweets
Ryan Goodman Profile picture
Jan 4
I joined with two great legal experts on this analysis.

In this thread, I highlight 3 items you may not see covered in same way, if at all, elsewhere.

Panama 'precedent'
safeguards for Heads of State
Venezuelan nationals new legal protections in US

🧵
justsecurity.org/127981/interna…
2/ "Panama precedent" of 1989 US action to capture Noriega counts against, not in favor, of US actions in Venezuela.

a) UN General Assembly "strongly deplored" US 1989 action
b) HW Bush, James Baker, Amb Pickering cited justifications nowhere in Venezuela case

Excerpt⤵️ Image
3/ Maduro is a monster, but the U.S. action is also unravelling protections for Heads of State and Foreign Ministers around the world.

Just recently the United States government made this point on the "personal inviolability" of such foreign officials from criminal arrest.⤵️ Image
Read 7 tweets
Ryan Goodman Profile picture
Dec 31, 2025
WSJ report is extraordinary in implicating Mar-a-Lago in Epstein systematic sexual abuse.

It takes a close read, but looks like WSJ is reporting Trump was informed and told Mar-a-Lago manager to "kick out" Epstein in 2003 not from Mar-a-Lago, but from the Mar-a-Lago Spa.

1/
2/ Note the WSJ report says:

"But Epstein continued to attend parties and events at Mar-a-Lago."

gift link (reporting by @joe_palazzolo @rebeccaballhaus @khadeeja_safdar):
wsj.com/us-news/trump-…
@joe_palazzolo @rebeccaballhaus @khadeeja_safdar 3/ It's in the very headline Image
Read 5 tweets
Ryan Goodman Profile picture
Dec 13, 2025
With Admiral Bradley's lawyer speaking to Congress this upcoming week.

Threshold question is how ANY of these strikes are legal.

On Sept 2 strike: Q is whether they applied standard Collateral Damage Estimation Methodology.

Because look what it says (declassified 2012)⤵️
1/ Image
2/ The Collateral Damage Estimation Methodology goes to the heart of the latest DoD claims about the strike.

The claim is that the second strike was targeting the (possible) cocaine, not the shipwrecked.

I do not see how that could have possibly complied with the Methodology.
3/ As shown in the screen shot, the Methodology states:

The laws of war (LOW) require anticipated "noncombatant" deaths must not be excessive in relation to expected military advantage to be gained (the possible cocaine).

Noncombatants defined to include shipwrecked.
Read 6 tweets
Ryan Goodman Profile picture
Dec 6, 2025
An important step in the right direction:

"The Senate Armed Services Committee ... has asked Adm. Alvin Holsey ... to testify before the committee next week, according to Blumenthal and another person familiar with the matter."

Report by @theodoricmeyer @noahjrobertson
1/ Image
2/ source

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…
3/ "A spokesperson for Rep. Adam Smith (Washington), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said that panel also requested briefings with U.S. Southern Command, though not with Holsey specifically."
Read 5 tweets
Ryan Goodman Profile picture
Dec 5, 2025
How is U.S. military killing these 11 people keeping drugs (fentanyl) out of the United States?

DOD knew the drugs (cocaine) were headed to Suriname.

Yes, that's the OTHER DIRECTION.

Read what Bradley-Caine told lawmakers:

Scoop by @NatashaBertrand

🧵 1/ Image
2/ Problems for Bradley's credibility.

On left:

Bradley argued to lawmakers "still a possibility" drugs could've made way to US.

On right:

Trump State Dept: "Suriname is a transit country for South American cocaine, the majority of which is likely destined for Europe." Image
Image
3/ And, yes, the administration's attempted constitutional and other legal claims unravel if boats are delivering drugs (let alone, cocaine not fentanyl) to Europe instead.

Core policy claims as well.
Read 5 tweets

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