Terrorism

Top White House Officials Discussed Harsh Interrogations in 2002

A picture emerges of Justice Department officials with differing views on the use of harsh interrogation techniques in early 2002 when top White House officials met to discuss the issue. The discussions on the use of harsh methods on al-Qaida suspects by the CIA took place before the Justice Department…

Sep 25, 2008 11:19 AM CDT

Sept. 11 Mastermind Quizzes Gitmo Judge About Religion, Torture Views

Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed questioned a Guantanamo judge about his religion, his reading habits and his views on torture in a hearing yesterday on his impartiality. Mohammed asked Marine Col. Ralph Kohlmann whether he was associated with Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell, asserting that “if you are in…

Sep 24, 2008 12:52 PM CDT

Appeals Court Orders Release of Photos of Abused Detainees

A New York City-based federal appeals court has ordered the government to release 21 photos of abused detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the government could not justify blocking release of the photos based on fears they would provoke terrorists and incite violence…

Sep 23, 2008 1:34 PM CDT

Vote on Judicial Nominees Delayed in Spat Over Torture Memos

The nominations of five judicial nominees were delayed yesterday in a dispute over Justice Department interrogation memos. The Senate Judiciary Committee had been scheduled to give consensus approval to the district court nominees yesterday, but committee chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., put them on hold for a week, the National Law…

Sep 19, 2008 4:47 PM CDT

Supporters Say Terrorism Prosecutor is not an ‘Islamophobe’

Is terrorism prosecutor Gordon Kromberg merely an aggressive lawyer seeking to protect the United States or a loose cannon displaying an anti-Muslim bias? Those two views are emerging of the assistant U.S. attorney following several controversial comments he has made, the Washington Post reports. Critics say Kromberg joked about a…

Sep 15, 2008 5:08 PM CDT

Seven Years Later, Sept. 11 Still Resonates

It’s been seven years since terrorists flew two commercial airliners into the World Trade Center’s twin towers in lower Manhattan, a third into the Pentagon and, apparently, attempted to fly a fourth, which crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, into an unknown target in Washington, D.C. But for surviving victims…

Sep 10, 2008 10:59 PM CDT

Indictment Claims Scientist’s Notes Hinted of U.S. Attack

A Pakistani neuroscientist being held without bail in Brooklyn, N.Y., had documents suggesting possible plans for a U.S. attack when she was arrested in Afghanistan, according to an indictment announced yesterday. The U.S.-trained scientist, Aafia Siddiqui, was charged with trying to kill U.S. soldiers and FBI agents in Afghanistan, the…

Sep 3, 2008 3:23 PM CDT

Three Arrested in Possible Plot to Kill Obama, But ‘No Credible Threat’

Three people arrested in Colorado on drug and firearm charges may have been involved in a plot to kill Barack Obama during his acceptance speech on Thursday. It is not known if the plot was well-developed or if the suspects had found a way to overcome heavy security at the…

Aug 26, 2008 10:34 AM CDT

Mired in the ‘Heart of Darkness’: Gitmo Lawyers Leave Firms, Tap Savings

The lawyer who left Covington & Burling after dropping his pants at a news conference isn’t the only attorney whose life became consumed by litigation for Guantanamo detainees. David Remes, who represents 16 detainees in federal habeas cases, stripped to his underwear to demonstrate the full body searches conducted by…

Aug 25, 2008 1:52 PM CDT

Mexican Prez Discusses Police & Court Reform Plan

Addressing a public that has become increasingly outraged over a spike in violent crime related to drug-dealing, Mexico’s president and other government officials have unveiled a comprehensive plan to reform the country’s police and court system. Among its 75 points, the plan calls for the elimination of corrupt police officers;…

Aug 22, 2008 6:54 PM CDT

Better-Targeted U.S. Aid Could Boost Mexican Anti-Violence Efforts

Concerned citizens throughout Mexico are planning a national march against crime on Aug. 30 that is focusing, in large part, on a huge increase in kidnappings for ransom in recent years that has also affected the United States. However, it’s going to take more than a march—and the money that…

Aug 21, 2008 6:15 PM CDT

More Key Senators Seek to Delay AG’s Planned Investigative Guidelines

Four senior Democratic senators joined today with leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee in calling for further public review before new investigative guidelines planned by Attorney General Michael Mukasey become effective. The guidelines, which Mukasey says are needed to fight terrorism effectively, are now set to be finalized by the…

Aug 20, 2008 11:08 PM CDT

Interpreter Shortage Could Delay Detainee Hearings in U.S. Courts

Lawyers representing detainees at Guantanamo Bay are rushing to meet with their clients who are challenging their detention in federal lawsuits, but a shortage of interpreters could create a logjam. About a dozen interpreters who live throughout the United States and visit Guantanamo have handled much of the critical work…

Aug 20, 2008 2:45 PM CDT

Judge Gives CIA 10 Days to Persuade Him Not to Issue Contempt Citation

A federal judge says he will give government lawyers 10 days to explain why he should not hold the CIA in contempt of court for destroying interrogation videotapes of al-Qaida detainees. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein of New York is considering whether the destruction of the tapes violated a court…

Aug 19, 2008 5:59 PM CDT

Courts May Hear Evidence on No-Fly List Decisions, Appeals Court Rules

A federal appeals court has ruled that a federal statute doesn’t bar trial judges from hearing evidence on how names are added to the government’s no-fly list. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in the case of Rahinah Ibrahim, a Muslim student who was arrested…

Aug 19, 2008 11:29 AM CDT