War by Other Means

John Yoo talked about his book, War by Other Means: An Insider’s Account of the War on Terror, published by Atlantic Monthly Press. Mr. Yoo argued that the traditional balance of powers must shift to the executive branch when America is at war. He described how the Bush administration grappled with the legal questions brought about by the events of September 11 and the early days of the war on terrorism. At that time Mr. Yoo served as a deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice. Issues included the designation of the remains of the World Trade Center as a crime scene or a battlefield. Until that question was answered, the president’s legal authority to act was unclear.

After his presentation, Mr. Yoo was joined in discussion by former Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr and Professor Jeffrey Rosen. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Schmitt. The panelists also responded to questions from members of the audience. close