And we’re back, with yet another interminable window of extemporaneous frivolity at the front end of what otherwise is a somewhat serious show about the latest national security law developments and debates (seriously). Listen up as co-hosts Steve Vladeck and Bobby Chesney discuss Russia’s denial of combatant immunity to foreign fighters in Ukraine (including some Americans), how this pertains to mercenary status, how it compares to US policies on al Qaeda and Taliban fighters, how this in turn relates to the Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi plea deal at GTMO, how speaking of GTMO they transferred Gul to Afghanistan, and hey speaking of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) there was a capture operation in Syria that seems like it was led by US SOF but who knows who now holds the detainee let alone what legal framework applies and hey maybe it was France because it seems like they’ve got their own Le GWOT going in the Sahel to include drone strikes taking out several dozen guys on motorcycles plus they also had a capture operation, and […catching my breath…] meanwhile Steve lost a case about court-appointed prosecutors but maybe that’s not the last word because that dissent made some good points.  [EXHALE]