Guantanamo/Detainees

How a Military Prosecutor Changed From Gung Ho Terrorism Fighter to Gitmo Critic

A military prosecutor who quit his post at Guantanamo because of ethical qualms tells of his transformation from gung ho terrorism fighter, brushing off tales of detainee abuse as “hyperbole,” to a critic of the system who is providing declarations helping defense lawyers. Writing in the Washington Post, former military…

Jan 15, 2009 1:02 PM CST

Ex-Military Prosecutor Tells of Chaotic Evidence System at Gitmo

A military prosecutor who resigned due to ethical qualms says in a court document that the evidence system at Guantanamo is so disorganized that it was impossible to be fair in the prosecution of detainees. Darrel Vandeveld resigned last year after citing slipshod procedures for turning over exculpatory evidence to…

Jan 14, 2009 1:42 PM CST

Pentagon Official Says Alleged 20th Hijacker Was Tortured by US

The Pentagon official charged with deciding whether to try Guantanamo detainees says she refused to allow the prosecution of the alleged 20th hijacker in the Sept. 11 attacks because he was tortured by the U.S. military. Susan Crawford, who is convening authority of the military commissions created to try the…

Jan 14, 2009 1:08 PM CST

Obama Set to Issue Order Closing Gitmo, But Process Won’t Be Quick

Barack Obama will issue an executive order within the first week of taking office directing the closing of Guantanamo Bay, but carrying out the order could take as long as a year. The New York Times reports that Obama will issue the executive order on his first full day in…

Jan 13, 2009 2:11 PM CST

Torture Tactics of ‘24’ Examined by Human Rights Group—and Show’s Characters

Tough-guy Jack Bauer of the FOX TV program 24 never thought twice about hardball tactics that included shootings, beatings, mutilations and electroshocks. He and his colleagues did whatever was needed to battle terrorism and save the innocent. But in the new season of the show, Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland,…

Jan 12, 2009 7:30 PM CST

Will Obama Pursue Terrorism Policy Probes? President-elect Appears Reluctant

Barack Obama faces some tough choices regarding Bush terrorism policies, including whether to investigate Bush administration officials for authorizing domestic wiretaps or harsh interrogations of suspects. In an interview broadcast Sunday, Obama was asked whether he would appoint a special prosecutor to investigate. The president-elect expressed some reluctance, saying he…

Jan 12, 2009 1:37 PM CST

D.C. Circuit Won’t Review Enemy Combatant Status of Gitmo Detainees

About 175 cases filed by Guantanamo detainees seeking a review of their enemy combatant designations won’t get a federal appeals court hearing under a decision today by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The appeals court ruled it no longer has jurisdiction to hear challenges to enemy…

Jan 9, 2009 5:10 PM CST

Appeals Court Cites Detainees’ Privacy Rights in Barring Abuse Disclosure

A federal appeals court has ruled the government does not have to disclose the identities of Guantanamo Bay detainees who claim they were abused in custody. The New York City-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the detainees and their family members have a privacy interest in their identifying…

Jan 6, 2009 5:05 PM CST

Davis Wright Lawyer Plans Suit on Behalf of Detainee Who Claims Torture

A partner at Davis Wright Tremaine is planning to file suit on behalf of a former Guantanamo Bay detainee who claims he was tortured as part of the Bush administration’s extraordinary rendition program. The former detainee, Muhammad Saad Iqbal, says he was beaten, subjected to electric shocks, forced to drink…

Jan 6, 2009 2:45 PM CST

Nominee to Head OLC Called Torture Memo ‘Shockingly Flawed’

President-elect Obama’s choice to head the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has been a vocal critic of the Bush administration’s terrorism policies and the legal opinions that authorized them. The nominee, Indiana University law professor Dawn Johnsen, has called one OLC memo authorizing harsh interrogations of terrorism suspects “shockingly…

Jan 6, 2009 12:18 PM CST

WSJ Calls Gitmo Pro Bono Lawyers ‘the Latest in Radical Chic’

Large law firms have lined up to provide “legal dream teams” for the world’s most dangerous men at Guantanamo, outgunning the 60 or so Justice Department lawyers handling about 200 habeas appeals, according to a newspaper editorial. The Wall Street Journal column decrying the imbalance is headlined “Gitmo Lawyers Are…

Dec 16, 2008 4:53 PM CST

Supreme Court Tells D.C. Circuit to Reconsider Gitmo Torture Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has directed a federal appeals court to reconsider the claims of four former Guantanamo detainees from the United Kingdom who claim they were tortured and their religious beliefs denigrated. The court told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to reconsider its January decision…

Dec 15, 2008 3:42 PM CST

Senate Report Blames White House for Detainee ‘Abuse’

Contradicting Bush administration claims that harsh prisoner interrogation techniques were sought by front-line military officers in the war against terrorism, a bipartisan U.S. Senate committee report released yesterday in redacted form says White House officials, including former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, are to blame for the policy underlying mistreatment…

Dec 12, 2008 9:52 PM CST

Rockers Protest Musical Assaults on Terrorism Detainees

A group of rock musicians is launching a campaign that protests using high-volume music to wear down terrorism detainees. The organizer of the campaign is Chloe Davies of the British group Reprieve, the Associated Press reports. Other participating musicians include the group Massive Attack and guitarist Tom Morello, formerly of…

Dec 10, 2008 1:08 PM CST

Five Sept. 11 Detainees Ask to Confess and Enter Guilty Plea

Five Guantanamo detainees charged with plotting the Sept. 11 attacks are seeking to confess and plead guilty. Accused Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed explained to a military judge today why he and his co-defendants were ready to enter guilty pleas, the New York Times reports. “We don’t want to…

Dec 8, 2008 4:52 PM CST