Scott Anderson
Former U.S. diplomat and government attorney, now a fellow at the Brookings Institution, consulted for his expertise on the legal history of the term "unlawful enemy combatant."
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Nov 2, 2025 • 7min
Trump calls alleged smugglers 'unlawful combatants'. That term has a history.
Scott Anderson, a former U.S. diplomat and legal expert at the Brookings Institution, dives into the contentious term 'unlawful combatant'. He discusses its post-9/11 usage to justify indefinite detention and its recent application by the Trump administration against drug smugglers. Anderson explains the historical implications of the term, questioning its legal appropriateness for current military actions. He also highlights concerns about limited protections for individuals labeled this way and the potential for indefinite detention without fair trials.
Apr 6, 2026 • 43min
'If You Can Keep It': The US, Iran, And War Crimes
Missy Ryan, Pentagon and State Department reporter; Scott Anderson, former State Dept. legal advisor now at Brookings; Oona Hathaway, Yale international law professor. They debate labeling strikes as war crimes. They discuss legal frameworks governing use of force, targeting civilian infrastructure, dual-use dilemmas, institutional rollbacks in military law advice, investigations, and how rhetoric shapes assessments of intent.
