Benjamin Wittes
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Wittes is a fellow at the Brookings Institution
, where he is Research Director in Public Law. Wittes is also a member of the Hoover Institution
's Task Force on National Security and Law. He is the author of Detention and Denial: The Case for Candor After Guantanamo, published in 2010 by the Brookings Institution Press, as well as Law and the Long War: The Future of Justice in the Age of Terror, published in June 2008 by The Penguin Press. He is editor of the 2009 Brookings book, Legislating the War on Terror: An Agenda for Reform.
His previous books include Starr: A Reassessment, which was published in 2002 by Yale University Press, and Confirmation Wars: Preserving Independent Courts in Angry Times, published in 2006 by Rowman & Littlefield and the Hoover Institution.
Wittes was born November 5, 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated from Oberlin College
in 1990. He is married to Tamara Cofman Wittes
. From 1997 to 2006, he was an editorial writer for The Washington Post
concentrating on legal affairs. Before that, he covered the U.S. Justice Department and federal regulatory agencies for The Legal Times. Wittes has written for a wide range of publications, including Slate
, Wilson Quarterly
, The Weekly Standard
, Policy Review
, and First Things
. He is the author of several books.
Wittes has written that, while he opposes the publication of classified United States
documents by whistleblowers on the document archive website WikiLeaks
, he
Responding to this statement, Melbourne Law School professor Kevin Jon Heller accused Wittes of preaching "American exceptionalism
in full bloom" and exhibiting "uncritical celebration of American power that has led — and, left unchecked, will continue to lead — to the worst excesses of the war on terror
."
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., in the United States. One of Washington's oldest think tanks, Brookings conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and...
, where he is Research Director in Public Law. Wittes is also a member of the Hoover Institution
Hoover Institution
The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace is a public policy think tank and library founded in 1919 by then future U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, an early alumnus of Stanford....
's Task Force on National Security and Law. He is the author of Detention and Denial: The Case for Candor After Guantanamo, published in 2010 by the Brookings Institution Press, as well as Law and the Long War: The Future of Justice in the Age of Terror, published in June 2008 by The Penguin Press. He is editor of the 2009 Brookings book, Legislating the War on Terror: An Agenda for Reform.
His previous books include Starr: A Reassessment, which was published in 2002 by Yale University Press, and Confirmation Wars: Preserving Independent Courts in Angry Times, published in 2006 by Rowman & Littlefield and the Hoover Institution.
Wittes was born November 5, 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated from Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
in 1990. He is married to Tamara Cofman Wittes
Tamara Cofman Wittes
Tamara Cofman Wittes is a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs at the United States Department of State. Wittes has written about democratic reform in the Arab world and about the Arab-Israeli conflict.-Biography:...
. From 1997 to 2006, he was an editorial writer for The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
concentrating on legal affairs. Before that, he covered the U.S. Justice Department and federal regulatory agencies for The Legal Times. Wittes has written for a wide range of publications, including Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
, Wilson Quarterly
Wilson Quarterly
The Wilson Quarterly is a magazine published by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. The magazine was founded in 1976 by Peter Braestrup and James H. Billington. The Quarterly is noted for its nonpartisan, nonideological approach to current issues, with articles...
, The Weekly Standard
The Weekly Standard
The Weekly Standard is an American neoconservative opinion magazine published 48 times per year. Its founding publisher, News Corporation, debuted the title September 18, 1995. Currently edited by founder William Kristol and Fred Barnes, the Standard has been described as a "redoubt of...
, Policy Review
Policy Review
Policy Review is one of America's leading conservative journals. It was founded by the Heritage Foundation and was for many years the foundation's flagship publication. In 2001, the publication was acquired by the Stanford University-based Hoover Institution, though it maintains its office on...
, and First Things
First Things
First Things is an ecumenical journal focused on creating a "religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society". The journal is inter-denominational and inter-religious, representing a broad intellectual tradition of Christian and Jewish critique of contemporary society...
. He is the author of several books.
Wittes has written that, while he opposes the publication of classified United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
documents by whistleblowers on the document archive website WikiLeaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
, he
"actively want[s] more ChinesePeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
secrets revealed against the will of the ChinesePeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
government. Indeed, were Wikileaks spending more of its time undermining authoritarianismAuthoritarianismAuthoritarianism is a form of social organization characterized by submission to authority. It is usually opposed to individualism and democracy...
and less of its time undermining democraciesDemocracyDemocracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, I might admire it. And I would find outrageous efforts by foreign governments to require American news outlets to keep their secrets for them. I’m not against double standardDouble standardA double standard is the unjust application of different sets of principles for similar situations. The concept implies that a single set of principles encompassing all situations is the desirable ideal. The term has been used in print since at least 1895...
s in all circumstances, so it’s possible that the right answer here is hypocrisyHypocrisyHypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....
: Doing what we need to do and objecting when other countries do the same."
Responding to this statement, Melbourne Law School professor Kevin Jon Heller accused Wittes of preaching "American exceptionalism
American exceptionalism
American exceptionalism refers to the theory that the United States is qualitatively different from other countries. In this view, America's exceptionalism stems from its emergence from a revolution, becoming "the first new nation," and developing a uniquely American ideology, based on liberty,...
in full bloom" and exhibiting "uncritical celebration of American power that has led — and, left unchecked, will continue to lead — to the worst excesses of the war on terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
."