The Defense Department announced the transfer of six detainees from Guantánamo Bay to Iraq, Algeria and Afghanistan. Barack Obama last week pledged to issue an executive order closing the prison camp.
A federal judge ordered the release of Gitmo detainee Mohammed el Gharani, finding the government had failed to prove he is an “enemy combatant.” Meanwhile, Susan Crawford, convening authority of Military Commissions at Guantánamo, admitted that torture has been used at the facility.
From Witness Against Torture, Jan. 8: WASHINGTON – On Sunday, January 11 – the seven-year anniversary of the opening of the prison at Guantanamo – more than 200 human rights advocates will join 60 people who are beginning a nine-day… Read moreActivists fast to demand Obama close Gitmo
President-elect Barack Obama‘s tilt to the right became obvious immediately after his historic victory, with the appointment of Rahm Israel Emanuel, a pro-Israel hardliner, as chief of staff. Our December Exit Poll was: “Barack Obama: ruling class pawn or avatar… Read moreObama’s rightward tilt: our readers write
Media accounts are generally not recalling the similar incidents earlier this year. Why is nobody seeing patterns here? From Network World, Dec. 22: Undersea robot searches for severed cables A robot submarine was scouring the seabed 200 meters under the… Read moreMediterranean Internet cables spliced —again
We recently noted that the ACLU is calling for President-elect Barack Obama to close Guantánamo Bay prison camp his first day in office. Now the Pentagon says it is working on a plan to close the camp—but, based on a… Read moreObama to close Gitmo —in two years?
A new report by the US Army War College‘s Strategic Institute warns of massive domestic unrest in the wake of converging crises that it terms a “strategic shock,” and discusses the possibility of Pentagon resources and troops being used at… Read moreUS Army War College issues report on martial law
For the first time, the US has released Guanánamo Bay detainees in response to a court order, sending three Algerian-born prisoners to their adopted homeland of Bosnia Dec. 16. The three are among five Algerians ordered released last month by… Read moreThree Gitmo detainees released to Bosnia
We wish we were joking. From CNN, Dec. 2: Behavioral screening—the future of airport security? TEL AVIV — Keep your shoes and belts on: Waiting in long airport security lines to pass through metal detectors may soon be a thing… Read moreMind-reading robots to patrol airports
President-elect Barack Obama‘s reported pick for Drug Czar, Minnesota’s Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad, is called out by Maia Szalavitz on Huffington Post Dec. 9 under the lurid title “Obama Drug Czar Pick Tied to Abusive Christian Rehab Linked to Contributor… Read moreObama drug czar pick linked to fraud, Christian right, anti-Semitism
Relatives of 9-11 victims were brought to Guantánamo Bay to witness as Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four co-defendants appeared before a US military tribunal. The five men told a military judge they intend to confess in full—an evident challenge to… Read more9-11 survivors pawns in Gitmo controversy —others dissent
In the days before the presidential elections, the US launched an air-strike on a village in Syria. Since then, the US has been bombing Pakistan every few days, with the media paying very little note. Our November Exit Poll was:… Read moreOur readers write: January Surprise?
