Terrorism

Law Prof Who Proposed US Court to Try Gitmo Detainees Gets DOJ Nod

Two Georgetown law professors who have been critics of Bush administration legal policies have been appointed to posts in the Justice Department. Neal Katyal has been appointed principal deputy solicitor general and Marty Lederman has been appointed deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel, according to the…

Jan 21, 2009 12:34 PM CST

Will Unidentified Telecom Appeal Previously Secret Wiretap Ruling?

Secrecy makes it impossible for reporters to inquire whether a telecommunications company will appeal a previously undisclosed ruling rejecting a constitutional challenge to a law requiring cooperation in warrantless wiretaps. The case could go to the U.S. Supreme Court, but reporters can’t ask the telecom if it plans an appeal…

Jan 16, 2009 4:37 PM CST

Obama Reportedly Told CIA Brass He Won’t Launch Waterboarding Probe

The outgoing director of the CIA says Barack Obama has indicated he won’t pursue a legal probe into the agency’s use of waterboarding and other harsh interrogation practices. Outgoing director Michael Hayden said in a news conference that Obama was briefed on the CIA’s interrogation methods in a meeting last…

Jan 16, 2009 1:39 PM CST

Intelligence Court Releases Opinion Upholding Broad Wiretap Law

Updated: A federal intelligence court released an opinion today upholding the power of Congress to authorize wiretaps of international communications with a broad court order. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review issued the secret decision in August, and a redacted version was released today, the New York Times reports.…

Jan 15, 2009 2:38 PM CST

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

Holder Takes Conciliatory Tone in Opening Statement

Eric Holder acknowledges past mistakes in a prepared opening statement for hearings beginning today on his nomination for attorney general. The statement doesn’t delve into specific issues, such as his endorsement of controversial pardons while serving in the Justice Department under Attorney General Janet Reno. But it does take “a…

Jan 15, 2009 12:06 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

Judge Allows Revised Suit Alleging Lawyer Wiretaps

A federal judge has refused to dismiss a revised lawsuit that contends the government illegally wiretapped two lawyers for an Islamic charity suspected of supporting terrorism. Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker of San Francisco said the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation had produced enough publicly available evidence to show the charity’s…

Jan 6, 2009 8:06 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