Andy Worthington

Andy Worthington is a historian based in London. He is the author of The Guantánamo Files, the first book to tell the stories of all the detainees in Guantanámo. He writes regularly on issues related to Guantánamo and the "War on Terror" on his Web site.

9/11 Trial At Guantánamo Delayed Again

On Monday, following a request from the Obama administration, Army Col. Stephen Henley, the military judge in the proposed trial by military commission of five men charged in connection with the 9/11 attacks – Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, Mustafa al-Hawsawi, and Walid bin Attash – agreed to the government’s … Continue reading “9/11 Trial At Guantánamo Delayed Again”

Is Bagram Obama’s New Secret Prison?

On Monday, one day after the New York Times and the Washington Post reported that the Obama administration was planning to introduce tribunals for the prisoners held in the U.S. prison at Bagram airbase, Afghanistan, the reason for the specifically timed leaks that led to the publication of the stories became clear. The government was … Continue reading “Is Bagram Obama’s New Secret Prison?”

Who Are The Two Syrians Released From Guantánamo To Portugal?

On August 28, in the first indication that European countries are prepared to help the Obama administration fulfill its promise to close Guantánamo by accepting prisoners who have been cleared for release, but who cannot be repatriated because of fears that they will face torture on their return, the Portuguese interior ministry announced that two … Continue reading “Who Are The Two Syrians Released From Guantánamo To Portugal?”

Bagram: Gitmo All Over Again

Back in September 2005, when I first began researching Guantánamo for my book The Guantánamo Files, the prison was still shrouded in mystery, even though attorneys had been visiting prisoners for nearly a year, following the Supreme Court’s ruling, in June 2004, that they had habeas corpus rights. Researchers at the Washington Post and at … Continue reading “Bagram: Gitmo All Over Again”

Guantánamo: You Can Check Out Any Time You Like, but You Can Never Leave

Imagine if you were imprisoned for seven years without charge or trial, and then a judge ruled that the government’s case against you consisted solely of unreliable allegations made by other prisoners (who were tortured, coerced, bribed, or suffering from mental health issues) and a "mosaic" of intelligence, purporting to rise to the level of … Continue reading “Guantánamo: You Can Check Out Any Time You Like, but You Can Never Leave”

Obama Maintains Bush Policies on Gitmo Uighurs

Last Thursday, while most U.S. media outlets were focused relentlessly on the marathon endurance test that was Sonia Sotomayor’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing, the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight held a hearing to investigate why the Bush administration had allowed Chinese interrogators to visit Guantánamo to interrogate the … Continue reading “Obama Maintains Bush Policies on Gitmo Uighurs”