William Fisher

William Fisher writes for Inter Press Service.

Guantánamo Deaths in 2006 Won’t Go Away

A leading good-government group is asking the U.S. Justice Department to disclose details of its investigation into the deaths of three Guantánamo prisoners in 2006. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Wednesday sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Justice Department seeking information about the Criminal Division’s handling of allegations … Continue reading “Guantánamo Deaths in 2006 Won’t Go Away”

Child Soldier Case to Kick Off Guantánamo Trials

Legal experts and civil libertarians are attacking the administration of President Barack Obama for resuscitating what they regard as "deeply flawed" military commissions to try detainees at Guantánamo Bay — and their choice of a "child soldier" as the first defendant. They are particularly incensed that Omar Khadr — a Canadian captured in Afghanistan seven … Continue reading “Child Soldier Case to Kick Off Guantánamo Trials”

UN Expert Calls On US To Halt CIA Targeted Killings

Targeted killings, including those using drones, are increasingly being applied in ways that violate international law, according to a report issued Wednesday by a United Nations expert on extrajudicial killings. The report by special rapporteur Philip Alston will be presented to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday. It says that while targeted … Continue reading “UN Expert Calls On US To Halt CIA Targeted Killings”

Indefinite Detention at Gitmo Criticized as ‘Legal Nihilism’

A new U.S. government report is recommending that 48 men currently detained at Guantanamo Bay should be held indefinitely without trial because “for many of the detainees, there are no witnesses who are available to testify in any proceeding against them.”But authorities who follow the tortuous fortunes of Guantanamo say there is another reason: The … Continue reading “Indefinite Detention at Gitmo Criticized as ‘Legal Nihilism’”

US Drone Strikes Draw International Scrutiny

On the heels of reports that the Barack Obama administration altered a new manual on military commission rules to accommodate an illegal drone program, a senior United Nations official is expected to call on the U.S. this week to stop Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) drone strikes against people suspected of belonging to al-Qaeda.The UN challenge … Continue reading “US Drone Strikes Draw International Scrutiny”

Legal Groups Protest Probe of Guantánamo Lawyers

The American Bar Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, and numerous other legal organizations are demanding that the Senate Armed Services Committee reject a provision in a House of Representatives bill that would mandate an investigation into lawyers representing Guantánamo Bay detainees. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2011 requires the inspector general to … Continue reading “Legal Groups Protest Probe of Guantánamo Lawyers”

Rights Groups Condemn Ruling on Bagram Detainees

Human rights advocates are expressing shock at a federal court ruling that detainees held by the United States in Afghanistan do not have the right to challenge their detention in a U.S. federal court – and dismay that their path to a successful appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court may be blocked.A lawyer for the … Continue reading “Rights Groups Condemn Ruling on Bagram Detainees”

US Towns Open Doors to Cleared Gitmo Prisoners

As Congress stiffens its resistance to moving any Guantánamo prisoners anywhere near the continental U.S., some communities are putting out the welcome mat. Through an organization called No More Guantánamos, two New England towns have voted to welcome detainees who have been cleared for release, and similar actions are being planned in other locations. In … Continue reading “US Towns Open Doors to Cleared Gitmo Prisoners”

US Urged to Probe Alleged ‘Second Prison’ at Bagram 

Pressure is mounting on the U.S. government to investigate reports that inmates from the notorious prison at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan have been moved to a second separate facility — known as the Tor Jail, which translates as "black jail" — where they say they were held in isolation in cold cells with a … Continue reading “US Urged to Probe Alleged ‘Second Prison’ at Bagram “

Court: Govt Can’t Shut Down Charities Without Warrant

In a major decision overturning a George W. Bush-era policy that has been continued by the administration of President Barack Obama, a federal court ruled that the U.S. Treasury Department cannot freeze a charity’s assets without a warrant, and must also give access to any classified evidence before effectively shutting the group down. That’s what … Continue reading “Court: Govt Can’t Shut Down Charities Without Warrant”