William Fisher

His name is Clare Callan. He is a feisty 85-year-old former congressman from rural Nebraska. And he is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to declare that Pres. George W. Bush had no legal authority to go to war in Iraq. Callan does not see himself as some kind of Don Quixote, haplessly tilting at windmills. … Continue reading “Retiree Doggedly Pursues Legal Challenge of Iraq War”

NEW YORK – Human rights groups are rallying behind a Virginia student who has been held without charges in a Saudi Arabian jail since June 2003, allegedly at the behest of the U.S. government. In court proceedings brought by the student’s family, a U.S. federal judge has given the Department of Justice until Jan. 31 … Continue reading “US Citizen Tortured in Saudi Arabia – at US Govt’s Behest?”

NEW YORK – Like President George W. Bush’s nominee for attorney general, his choice for Homeland Security czar is likely to face stiff opposition from some Democratic senators and human rights advocates because of what they say were abuses of civil liberties during his service in the Justice Department. Michael Chertoff was assistant attorney general … Continue reading “Chertoff Wrote Blueprint for Sept. 12 Crackdown”

NEW YORK – A leading civil rights group says that government records pertaining to an investigation of prisoner abuses at the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba are still being withheld, and those it has received under a court order are so heavily censored that they "raise more questions than they answer." Still, correspondence handed … Continue reading “Fresh Horrors at Guantanamo”

NEW YORK – Even as the alleged ringleader of the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal faces court-martial Friday, human rights groups are questioning whether his case is really the "aberration" the Pentagon claims. "The trial of Charles Graner is a first step toward accountability, but no one should confuse it with the end of the … Continue reading “Trickle of Abuse Reports Becoming a Torrent”

NEW YORK – The Bush administration appears set to maintain the secrecy that has characterized its workings since 2001. The latest evidence is a directive from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) instructing its employees and contractors to share sensitive but unclassified information only with those having a need to know it. All 180,000 department … Continue reading “Dept. of Homeland Security Pushes More Secrecy”

NEW YORK – Since 9/11, millions of words have been written about the "terrorists in our midst." Most congratulated U.S. law enforcement for finding and jailing them. Fewer questioned whether the principles of American human rights and civil liberties were being compromised by an overzealous government gripped by fear. But according to the American Civil … Continue reading “Families the ‘Other Victims’ of 9/11 Round-Up”

NEW YORK – Many of the more draconian provisions affecting privacy, secrecy, and asylum-seekers originally included in Congress’ intelligence reform bill passed this week were omitted in the law’s final version. But the agreed compromise still contains language that troubles human and civil rights organizations. The House of Representatives’ version of the bill would have … Continue reading “Intel Bill No Win for Rights”

NEW YORK – Somewhere between Halliburton and CARE, there is a cadre of contractors trying to help Iraq establish a working, private-sector economy. But the cost of securing their safety is frustrating many, as some firms report spending 25-30 percent of their contract revenues on armored cars and small private armies. These consultants have been … Continue reading “Cost of Guards, Guns Deters Some Contractors”

NEW YORK – U.S. civil rights groups have filed multiple freedom of information requests around the country to uncover evidence that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local police are spying on political, environmental, and faith-based groups in the name of fighting terrorism. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests were filed in 10 … Continue reading “Groups Probe FBI Spying in ‘War on Terror’”