More than 30 privacy and civil liberties organizations have filed a formal petition with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), urging the federal agency to shut down the use of 'full body scanners' (FBS) at the nation's airports. At a press conference, Marc...
Prosecutor Seeks Anonymous Jury in New York ‘Terror’ Trial
U.S. Justice Department lawyers petitioned a federal court Wednesday to begin a controversial terror-related trial in New York City with an "anonymous jury" in order to protect the jurors, lawyers and court officials. The motion asks that the jurors hearing...
Guantanamo Detainee Ordered Freed
After nine years in captivity, a U.S. federal court has ordered the release of a Guantanamo prisoner once described as the "highest-value detainee at the facility" – and set off a firestorm of protest from Republican lawmakers. Federal District Judge...
Judge Rebukes Bush-Era Spying Program
The efforts of the Barack Obama administration to maintain the secrecy of the counterterrorism policies of its predecessor, the administration of former President George W. Bush, hit a major speed bump last week. On March 31, a federal judge ruled that the National...
Republicans Seek Deal on Detainee Trials
The prominent scholar who believes that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, self-styled mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks, should receive no trial is nonetheless advising Sen. Lindsey Graham on a proposal to the White House to create "an overarching detainee...
Families Sue Over Guantánamo Deaths
The families of two prisoners who died at the U.S. Navy Base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, are asking a federal court to reconsider its ruling dismissing their lawsuit, which seeks to hold federal officials and the U.S. government accountable for their sons' torture,...
ACLU Ad Challenges Military Commissions
Civil libertarians hit back hard Sunday at reports indicating that the Barack Obama administration is about to cave in to pressure from Congress and local groups in New York City and is not only considering transferring the cases of suspected terrorists to another...
Senate Debates Indefinite Detentions
Civil liberties advocates and U.S. constitutional law scholars lost no time in condemning proposed legislation introduced in the Senate Thursday that would hand the government the power to indefinitely detain terrorism suspects without charge and to conduct trials...
Habeas Challenges for Bagram Prisoners
Four men who have been imprisoned for over a year – some for almost two years – are going to U.S. federal court to challenge their detention at the notorious Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. The men, who their lawyers say have never engaged in hostilities...
Blackwater’s Migraines Multiply
Legal headaches are growing exponentially for the security firm formerly known as Blackwater – once the darling of the military-industrial community. In separate developments, two former employees of the company charged that the security firm committed...