military commissions

First Steps Taken to Implement Preventive Detention, Military Commissions

A task force appointed by President Obama to issue recommendations on how to close Guantanamo announced yesterday it will miss its deadline and instead needs a six-month extension, potentially jeopardizing Obama's promise to close Guantanamo within a year. The announcement was made in a briefing given by four leading Obama officials, where the condition of the briefing was that none of the officials could be named (why not?) and <

Posted in executive power, military commissions, torture

An Early Call for Obama's Resignation

We expected broken promises. But the gap between the soaring expectations that accompanied Barack Obama's inauguration and his wretched performance is the broadest such chasm in recent historical memory. This guy makes Bill Clinton look like a paragon of integrity and follow-through.

Posted in military commissions, obama, preventive detention

Obama’s Guantánamo Appeasement Plan

Two days after his inauguration, President Obama pledged to close Guantánamo within one year. The Republicans, led by Senators John McCain, Mitch McConnell and Pat Roberts, immediately launched a concerted campaign to assail the new president. They claimed his plan would release dangerous terrorists into U.S. communities and allow released terrorists to resume fighting against our troops. Fox News agitator Sean Hannity and Bush team players like torture-memo lawyer John Yoo filled the airwaves and print media with paranoia.

Posted in guantanamo, military commissions, obama, preventive detention

Obama Can't Fix the Military Commissions

I watched the inauguration of President Obama from Guantánamo. Military and civilian defense lawyers had been in pretrial hearings in the 9/11 death penalty cases only the day before, and were scheduled to return to a military commissions court the day after the inauguration. But late that evening came word that the new president had ordered a halt to the military commissions while his administration determined whether the cases should be prosecuted in federal civilian courts.

Posted in guantanamo, military commissions, torture

New Chief Prosecutor Appointed For Military Commissions At Guantánamo

In a development that will only fuel suspicions that the Obama administration is indeed planning to revive the Bush administration's much-criticized system of trials by Military Commission at Guantánamo (as flagged up by defense secretary Robert Gates in testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee last week), I have just learned that the Commissions' Chief Prosecutor, Col. Lawrence Morris, is retiring from active duty, and will be replaced by Capt.

Posted in guantanamo, military commissions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 4, 2009
4:01 PM

CONTACT: ACLU
Mandy Simon, (202) 675-2312; media@dcaclu.org

Guantánamo Military Commissions Should Not Be Revived, Says ACLU

Prosecutions Should Occur in Well-Equipped Criminal Justice System

WASHINGTON - May 4 - Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Attorney General Eric Holder have recently suggested that the Obama administration is considering reviving the failed Guantanamo military commissions, and administration officials have reportedly stated this could happen imminently.

The following can be attributed to Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the Washington Legislative Office of the American Civil Liberties Union:

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The ACLU conserves America's original civic values working in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in the United States by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

ACLU Links:

Posted in Equality/Justice, guantanamo, military commissions

Problem of Guantánamo Detainees Returns to Haunt Barack Obama

President Obama is on the verge of breaking two key campaign promises in his troubled attempt to shut Guantánamo Bay - with plans to revive the military tribunal system set up by George Bush and to continue the indefinite detention of up to 100 inmates.

The moves, which have not yet been signed off by Mr Obama but look increasingly likely, are a result of his promise on his second day in office to shut the Guantánamo Bay prison within a year.

Posted in Equality/Justice, guantanamo, military commissions

Mohammed Jawad and Obama's Efforts to Suspend Military Commissions

This is a very good and important step -- not only because of its substance, but also because it was something Obama did almost immediately, even before his first full day in office:

Posted in guantanamo, military commissions, obama