Terrorism

Tribunals Considered Praying Habits of Gitmo Detainee

Two U.S. military tribunals have declared a German student to be an al-Qaida ally despite evidence that intelligence experts did not consider him a terrorist. Lawyers for Murat Kurnaz obtained documents showing the disparity in a lawsuit against the Pentagon, the Washington Post reports. Newly released portions of a ruling…

Dec 5, 2007 3:01 PM CST

New ID Rules for Travel Outside U.S.

In a little over one month, more stringent identification requirements will apply to Americans who travel abroad, even if they are only going to Canada or Mexico or the Caribbean. Under a new law that takes effect on Jan. 31, 2008, adults and children who don’t have a passport will…

Dec 4, 2007 5:32 PM CST

U.S. to Judge: We Can Kidnap Suspects

Extradition is only one way for the U.S. government to get suspected criminals in foreign countries back to American soil for trial. Another legitimate option is to kidnap them, a lawyer representing the United States reportedly told an appellate judge in a United Kingdom case, causing an uproar there once…

Dec 3, 2007 5:15 PM CST

Detainee Case Reflects ‘Interbranch Drama’

Updated: The latest Guantanamo detainee case before the U.S. Supreme Court, which asks whether federal courts have jurisdiction to hear the enemy combatant cases, “reflects an extraordinary interbranch drama,” the New York Times reports. Last year, the court in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld struck down the military commission system because President…

Dec 3, 2007 1:21 PM CST

The IRS Gets Less Charitable

New tax rules for charitable deductions create hurdles to taxpayer philanthropy

Dec 1, 2007 8:52 PM CST

Ashcroft Heckled, Protesters Forcibly Removed

Students at the University of Colorado at Boulder booed former Attorney General John Ashcroft during his appearance there earlier this week. The protest escalated to the point that several students were reportedly forcibly removed. The heckling intensified when Ashcroft described Guantanamo Bay as a “good place” for detainees. But the…

Nov 29, 2007 11:14 PM CST

‘Gullible’ Doctor Gets 25 years for Aiding Terrorists

A former New York City doctor was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of conspiring to treat al-Qaida fighters. U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska said the sentencing of Rafiq Sabir, 52, now of Boca Raton, Fla., would deter others from aiding terrorists. Sabir denounced his May…

Nov 29, 2007 7:13 PM CST

Government Stay Quickly Denied in Prisoner Suicide Case

A federal appeals court has rejected a government request to delay disclosure of documents in connection with the death of a federal prison inmate. The Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the motion Tuesday within hours of receiving it, the Deseret Morning News reports. The government had sought…

Nov 29, 2007 1:13 PM CST

Mission Diluted at Anti-terrorism ‘Fusion Centers’

So-called “fusion centers,” the local intelligence-sharing centers established post-Sept. 11, 2001, have been diverted from their anti-terrorism missions. So says a report by the Government Accountability Office, which was obtained by the Associated Press. The 43 centers were meant to coordinate resources, but instead are focusing on common street crime…

Nov 28, 2007 10:05 PM CST

R.I. Chief Justice to Head Terror Review Panel

The Defense Department has announced that Rhode Island Chief Justice Frank J. Williams will head the military appeals panel that reviews terror cases. Williams replaces Chief Judge Griffin Bell as the senior member of the Court of Military Commissions Review, according to a DOD release. Williams has been a member…

Nov 27, 2007 10:33 PM CST

Terrorism Judge Warns Government About Wiretap Secrecy

The federal judge who presided over the trial of confessed terrorism conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui appeared to be out of patience with the government yesterday in a hearing in another terrorism case. Judge Leonie Brinkema of Alexandria, Va., said she might order a new trial for Islamic scholar Ali al-Timimi, convicted…

Nov 21, 2007 1:59 PM CST

An Ex-AG Asks Mukasey to Release Secret Opinions

A former attorney general has joined with another high-profile lawyer to ask Michael Mukasey to release the Justice Department’s secret legal opinions on torture and the war on terrorism. Former Attorney General Nicholas deB. Katzenbach and Frederick A. O. Schwarz Jr. wrote a New York Times op-ed asking the new…

Nov 20, 2007 4:15 PM CST

9th Circuit Applies State Secrets Privilege in Wiretap Case

In a ruling seen as a victory for the Bush administration, a federal appeals court has said that a warrantless wiretap case brought against the government by an Islamic charity cannot proceed, at least for now, because of the national security issues it raises. The three-judge appellate panel rejected the…

Nov 16, 2007 7:43 PM CST

Now on Internet: Gitmo Prison Manual

Updated: Want to know what the exact rules are for running the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba? If so, you’re in luck—the entire Gitmo prison operating manual was posted last week on the Internet. Although stamped “unclassified,” the prison manual is also stamped “for official use only,” meaning…

Nov 15, 2007 5:28 PM CST

BBC: No Judges in Many Pakistan Courts

As hundreds of lawyers in cities throughout the U.S. joined in peaceful protests today to support fellow attorneys in Pakistan, the legal system there continues in a chaotic state, particularly at the appellate level. “More than half the courtrooms have no judges. Most lawyers who are still free are refusing…

Nov 14, 2007 10:27 PM CST