A friend in Detainee Affairs?

After the likes of Matthew Waxman, Cully Stimson and Sandra Hodgkinson could it be that we are finally getting a friend in the new appointment to the position of Ass't Secy of Defense for Detainee Affairs.? Looks that way to me. Click on the title for more.

Spain is back...

I have been spending my days at the secret place and just came up for air long enough to read this good news.
Click on the title.

Well I am laying blame.... updated...

Just back from another trip to our hell hole ...so let me just say one thing... if we do not bring these war criminals to justice then we should just stop using the word (justice) in this country....
a few articles worth reading:
start here
then head over here...
and don't forget this...
and this
this too...
and what about this
there are more... and I have added some and check out this new (to me) website.
and this interview via the talking dog.

New Report on the treatment of detainees

Is the Tide Turning?

Seems maybe Obama is getting the message.

From Roger Fitch and our Friends down under.

Click on the title.

Torture Memos Part II

Ok, I have a confession. I still have not read this latest group of documents. The stuff I am reading in my two cases right now is more than enough to make me ill and pissed off.... I will save these new memos for some time in the future. But several of you have emailed and asked me to comment on these latest documents so I will point you to the talking dog and Scott Horton. Coincidentally they share a certain theme. I reread Kafka's The Trial after watching the inaction of our courts in these cases a few years back, and I discovered that the Gitmo litigation was more Kafka than Kafka. I guess now it is time to reread 1984.

Newest Torture Memos

I won't have time to really read these until the weekend.... but click on the title and get started.

Bush 6 to be indicted

Moazzam Begg Interviews Binyam Mohamed

Cageprisoners has one of the most interesting interviews that I have read (you can also listen). A former Guantanamo prisoner interviewed by another former Guantanamo prisoner. Click on the title for the interview.

WAR CRIMES WATCH

War Criminals Watch exists for one and only one reason: to ensure that prosecutions of high officials of the Bush administration who are guilty of "high crimes and misdemeanors" take place now. Key actors in the Bush administration must be held accountable and prosecuted for the crimes they stand accused, in the eyes of world public opinion, of having committed. Editorialists may demand action. Politicians will call for it. But only an energized and politically active public can make those prosecutions happen. They need to be publicly shamed and prevented from occupying powerful or influential positions within our society. As in other cases where authorities have gone beyond US and international law as well as the laws of decency, only a public accounting will restore lawful conduct.
CLICK ON THE TITLE TO GO TO THE SITE.

Dangerous Games Part II

A few days ago I described the government's refusal to tender exculpatory evidence until we uncover hints of the evidence in our own investigations... click on the title for a description of more of the stalling games still going on at the "justice" department.

A Follow up... of sorts

to the International Red Cross report...
click on the title.

Dangerous Games

Since November the judges have been moving forward towards the Habeas hearings that the Supreme Court said in June must be promptly held. In some cases we need information from the Government to show that our client is innocent. This is referred to as "exculpatory" evidence in legal circles... evidence that tends to undermine the Governments case. Unfortunately, and especially in these kind of cases, that evidence is usually in the hands of the Government. The Government is "required" to be looking for that evidence and voluntarily tendering it. In the Gitmo cases the Government has established a pattern of hiding the exculpatory evidence from Habeas counsel. As this pattern emerges I think we can expect more Judges, like Judge Sullivan, to come down hard on the Government for hiding information that disproves the Government's cases against our clients (click on the title to read about the case before J. Sullivan). Because we cannot trust the government to do the right thing... which they are legally required to do, many of us have had to conduct our own rather unorthodox (but completely legal) investigations. Like the case before Judge Sullivan I too learned very damaging information about a former guantanamo prisoner who made wild and dangerous accusations against one of my clients. Turns out he made similarly dangerous accusations against countless others at Guantanamo. Now that I have received some background information on this accuser (which I cannot discuss) I can now tell you that the Government has sunk to levels lower than even I could imagine. In fact, from what I know about the case before J. Sullivan the exculpatory evidence that the government has withheld in one of my cases (and in several other cases with the same accuser) is much worse. It is bad enough that severely mentally ill prisoners were held without proper treatment at Guantanamo, however, it is even worse that they were exploited and used by the military to provide accusations justifying the continued imprisonment of innocent men at Guantanamo. But worst of all, is the fact that the Government continues with these dangerous games,is still trying to hide this very damning information and continues to shirk its legal duty to provide exculpatory information.
These attorneys, for whatever reason, have decided that it is more important to continue to try to justify the unjustifiable... the continued imprisonment of innocent men, rather than abide by the rule of law. The Department of Justice is in a shambles and as far as I am concerned they should all be fired and be forced to forfeit their law licenses.

National Geographic Special

I did not watch the program. From what I heard I did not miss much. I was sent this link (click on the title) to a thoughtful review of the program and the general lack of knowledge by the American people... to this day, about what Guantanamo is about and who is and has been held at Guantanamo.

How Long Were the 14 Held At Guantanamo prior to September 2006???

On September 6, 2006 President Bush announced that 14 high valued detainees were transferred from the custody of the CIA to the custody of the Guantanamo authorities. This was a carefully worded announcement to make it sound as if the men were actually moved to Guantanamo on or around that date. As the ICRC report states, some of the men thought they were being held in Guantanamo during at least some of the time that they were being held by the CIA. I believe that the truth is that the men were held at a secret location at Guantanamo and tortured at Guantanamo for a very long time...some for years. I have come to this conclusion in the course of my investigations but unfortunately my sources do not want to go public. If there are individuals out there who are willing to go public please contact me and I will do my best to provide you with whatever legal protections are necessary and available.

Red Cross Torture Report

The actual report, which includes gross misconduct on the part of Guantanamo medical staff, has been released on the New York Review of Books website. Thanks to Charly at the Project to Enforce the Geneva Conventions for the direct link. Click on the title to read it.

Moments like this...

When I read articles like this I remember once again why I chose to be a lawyer.... and why this will always be my profession.

New Seton Hall Report...

http://law.shu.edu/administration/public_relations/press_releases/2009/shl_students_reveal_generals_4109.htm

The Denbeauxs of the famous Seton Hall Report, a study of Guantanamo detainees that refuted many of the governments claims about their capture and crimes,( here is a link to that report :(http://law.shu.edu/aaafinal.pdf ) have released a new report . Above is a link to the press release. The report is clear and not that long . One of the new pieces of incontrovertible evidence in the report is that General Schmidt knowingly lied in his testimony before Congress.

CLICK ON THE TITLE TO GO TO THE NEW REPORT...

Gitmo Lawyer threatened with jail time...

As the talking dog reported yesterday, attorneys at Reprieve have been threatened with jail time for writing to President Obama about the torture one of their clients was subjected to. Click on the title for more...

Bagram will not become the new Gitmo

Many of us were worried that Bagram was to become the new Gitmo with men (and women and children) being moved there from all over the world and held without charge. Judge Bates just made an important ruling and said that those men who were moved to Bagram by the US could challenge their detention in US courts...

Judge Grants Another Habeas Corpus Petition

I believe the score is now 24 out of 28 habeas petitions that have been heard have been granted. Unfortunately almost all of the men who have been ordered to be set free still languish at the hell hole.

Talking Dog Interviews Dick Cheney