PEGC Update

And for an update on everything else Gitmo click on the title and read the latest update/follow the links from the Project to Enforce the Geneva Conventions.

The District Court Litigation

For a recap on what is and has been going on at the Federal Court click on the title and go to Scotusblog. You can also go directly to a special website set up by the Court to read opinions and review documents (http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/public-docs/gitmo) Hopefully Judge Hogan will rule rather quickly on the issues before him so that we can start setting up hearings for our clients. No doubt the government will want to appeal some of his rulings... (no matter what they are) as the governments only goal is to stretch this out past the election.... but perhaps the judges have learned something from this litigation and will refuse to stay proceeding pending the proceedings?

Al-Marri's brother goes home (updated)

Again, in the middle of some night recently a plane left Gitmo with at least one man bound for Qatar. Jarallah Al-Marri the brother of Saleh Al-Marri is back home after more than six years at Guantanamo... with no charge ever filed against him. You may recall Jarallah's famous brother Saleh, who was picked up in the US where he had moved (with his family) to study. He was here on a valid visa and despite the fact that there was no evidence (other than being Muslim) that he was involved in any terrorist activity he was held in federal custody. When push came to shove and the government was forced to come forward with some evidence they dropped the charges and the president declared him an enemy combatant. The 4th circuit recently held that it is legal for the president to declare people lawfully in the United States as enemy combatants and hold them because Congress empowered the president to detain non-citizens as enemies. Yes, our congress gave Bush that power in the Military Commissions Act. Visitors to this country should be very wary.
CLICK ON THE TITLE FOR THE SHORT BLURB THAT MADE IT INTO THE PAPER.

The Department of Defense announced today that it transferred three detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; one detainee was transferred to Afghanistan, one detainee to the United Arab Emirates, and one detainee to Qatar.