William Fisher

William Fisher writes for Inter Press Service.

Rights Groups Slam Bid to Suppress Abuse Pics

President Barack Obama’s decision Wednesday to object to the planned release of photos showing abuse of prisoners in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan has drawn quiet praise from the military and some in Congress – and outspoken scorn from human rights advocates, a number of legal scholars and religious leaders, and many on the … Continue reading “Rights Groups Slam Bid to Suppress Abuse Pics”

Senate Panel Probes Legality of Torture Memos

"An ethical train wreck" was the phrase used by one witness to describe the legal reasoning behind the Justice Department’s recently released memos justifying the use of waterboarding and other forms of "enhanced interrogation techniques." The phrase came during the testimony of David Luban, a law professor at Georgetown University, before a panel on administrative … Continue reading “Senate Panel Probes Legality of Torture Memos”

Back to Military Commissions?

Human rights advocates and legal scholars fear that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama may resurrect the military commissions designed by his predecessor to try Guantánamo detainees after Obama’s 120-day moratorium on proceedings expires on May 20. That possibility appeared to move a step closer to reality when Guantánamo’s chief judge refused to delay … Continue reading “Back to Military Commissions?”

Lawmakers Try to Block New Abuse Photos

Civil libertarians are condemning a call by two influential U.S. senators for the White House to block the impending release of photographs showing detainees being abused by U.S. military personnel at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and at other U.S. detention facilities in the Middle East and elsewhere. The plea to intervene to … Continue reading “Lawmakers Try to Block New Abuse Photos”

Congress Resists Guantánamo Releases

As lawmakers amped up the outcry against releasing Guantánamo "terrorists in our neighborhoods," France agreed to accept a "cleared" Guantánamo prisoner and human rights groups continued to press for release of 17 Chinese Uighurs the U.S. government has declared to be no threat to national security. The Democratic-led House Appropriations Committee last week passed a … Continue reading “Congress Resists Guantánamo Releases”

Unwieldy Terror Watchlist Hits a Million

Hundreds of thousands of people are being wrongly identified because of the government’s wasteful and inefficient management of the nation’s one million-strong terrorist watchlist, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The organization cited a recent report by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG), which found that the part of … Continue reading “Unwieldy Terror Watchlist Hits a Million”

Psychologists Under Fire for Role in Interrogations

A leading human rights organization is charging that an American Psychological Association (APA) task force formed to advise the U.S. military on prisoner interrogations was "stacked with Defense Department and [George W.] Bush Administration officials" and "rushed to conclusions that violated the Geneva Convention." Newly released internal APA documents indicate that the organization’s 2005 ethics … Continue reading “Psychologists Under Fire for Role in Interrogations”

Britain Tries to Block CIA Rendition Case

British High Court judges are expected to rule this week on whether a document by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency can be publicly disclosed, thus opening the courthouse door to a lawsuit charging that the British government was complicit in facilitating the rendition of a British resident by the CIA, which tortured and secretly imprisoned … Continue reading “Britain Tries to Block CIA Rendition Case”

Obama Considers Revamping Military Trials

Reports circulating in Washington suggest that President Barack Obama may try to revive the military commission system for prosecuting Guantánamo detainees, which Obama himself criticized during the administration of his predecessor, former president George W. Bush. While some detainees would be tried in federal courts, administration lawyers are reportedly concerned that some terrorism suspects could … Continue reading “Obama Considers Revamping Military Trials”