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”

House Kills Plan to Close Guantánamo

President Obama’s hopes of closing Guantánamo, which were already gravely wounded by his inability to meet his self-imposed deadline of a year for the prison’s closure, now appear to have been killed off by lawmakers in Congress. Although the House Armed Services Committee was happy to authorize, by 59 votes to 0, a budget of … Continue reading “House Kills Plan to Close Guantánamo”

Judge Rules Yemeni’s Detention at Guantánamo Based Solely on Torture

On Feb. 24, as I reported in "The Black Hole of Guantánamo," Judge Henry H. Kennedy Jr. granted the habeas corpus petition of Uthman Abdul Rahim Mohammed Uthman, a Yemeni who was seized crossing the border from Afghanistan to Pakistan in December 2001. In the absence of the judge’s unclassified opinion explaining why he had … Continue reading “Judge Rules Yemeni’s Detention at Guantánamo Based Solely on Torture”

The Two-Guantanamo Solution

It all began in Afghanistan (the War on Terror, of course). It was there as well that, in late 2001, the Bush administration first “took the gloves off,” a phrase its top officials then loved to use. So the first torture and abuse of prisoners, including the use of dogs to intimidate, took place there … Continue reading “The Two-Guantanamo Solution”

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 James Robertson ruled in Washington, D.C., that the U.S. could not continue to detain Mohamedou … Continue reading “Guantanamo Detainee Ordered Freed”

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, arbitrary detention, and ultimate deaths. According to their lawyers, the Center for … Continue reading “Families Sue Over Guantánamo Deaths”

On Guantánamo, Symbolism Trumps Substance

President Obama has been so chastened by his failure to meet the pledge of closing Guantánamo prison within a year that Rahm Emanuel, his chief of staff, is trying to negotiate with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to gain Republican support for doing so. In exchange, Graham wants Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other alleged 9/11 attackers … Continue reading “On Guantánamo, Symbolism Trumps Substance”

Guantánamo Deaths Deserve a Closer Look

Did three detainees at Guantánamo die of suicide or homicide? According to the Pentagon, three Guantánamo prisoners hung themselves in their individual cells on the night of June 9, 2006, in order to commit an act of "asymmetrical warfare." But that official account is riddled with gaping holes and is challenged by an alternative explanation … Continue reading “Guantánamo Deaths Deserve a Closer Look”