We of course don't celebrate this particular holiday in these here United States-- but to those of you that are so fortunate as to live in a country that celebrates human rights, have a nice day!
I will note that the U.N. special rapporteur on counterterroism and human rights is celebrating this day by calling on the US to prosecute those responsible for the torture and other human rights violations that were unveiled in yesterdays report.
"The summary of the Feinstein report which was released this afternoon confirms what the international community has long believed - that there was a clear policy orchestrated at a high level within the Bush administration, which allowed to commit systematic crimes and gross violations of international human rights law."
Read his entire statement herehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/10/un-us-torture_n_6300864.html.
Jim White at Emptywheel has more here.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
The Summary of the Torture report has been released
Today the senate released the summary of the torture report. You can find it here. They missed releasing it on international human rights day by a day! It is a big file (500ish pages) and it is heavily redacted. We still have to push for the full report which is several thousands of pages. And of course we still have to push for accountability. These were crimes against humanity and the the torturers and the higher ups (BUSH and CHANEY TO NAME TWO) should pay for these crimes. Sen. Feinstein's summary of the summary is here.
According to Feinstein these are the Key findings:
The study’s 20 findings and conclusions can be grouped into four central themes,
each of which is supported extensively in the Executive Summary: 2
1. The CIA’s “enhanced interrogation techniques” were not effective.
2. The CIA provided extensive inaccurate information about the operation of the
program and its effectiveness to policymakers and the public.
3. The CIA’s management of the program was inadequate and deeply flawed.
4. The CIA program was far more brutal than the CIA represented to policymakers and
the American public.
One of the key findings in my opinion is one shared with bmaz at emptywheel and that is that they knew it was torture and they knew it was illegal before they started and when they were doing it-- and they did it anyway:
According to Feinstein these are the Key findings:
The study’s 20 findings and conclusions can be grouped into four central themes,
each of which is supported extensively in the Executive Summary: 2
1. The CIA’s “enhanced interrogation techniques” were not effective.
2. The CIA provided extensive inaccurate information about the operation of the
program and its effectiveness to policymakers and the public.
3. The CIA’s management of the program was inadequate and deeply flawed.
4. The CIA program was far more brutal than the CIA represented to policymakers and
the American public.
One of the key findings in my opinion is one shared with bmaz at emptywheel and that is that they knew it was torture and they knew it was illegal before they started and when they were doing it-- and they did it anyway:
Here, from page 33 of the Report, is the language establishing the above:
AND BY THE WAY-- THE GOVERNMENT NOW ADMITS THAT ABU ZUBAYDAH WAS NOT PART OF AL-QUEDA -- they tortured the man and produced false information from the torture that was then used to scare the American people and falsely imprison many others....and now they admit that he was a nothing. I will have more on this later. Meanwhile the Intercept has a very good working summary here.…drafted a letter to Attorney General John Ashcroft asking the Department of Justice for “a formal declination of prosecution, in advance, for any employees of the United States, as well as any other personnel acting on behalf of the United States, who may employ methods in the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah that otherwise might subject those individuals to prosecution. The letter further indicated that “the interrogation team had concluded “that “the use of more aggressive methods is required to persuade Abu Zubaydah to provide the critical information we need to safeguard the lives of innumerable innocent men, women and children within the United States and abroad.” The letter added that these “aggressive methods” would otherwise be prohibited by the torture statute, “apart from potential reliance upon the doctrines of necessity or of self-defense.”
Monday, December 8, 2014
Preparing for the torture report....
Well I am not sure the summary (the full report is thousands of pages long and we will probably need a crowbar to get that released any time soon) will really be released tomorrow--but that is todays rumor. So, in preparing yourself I suggest you start with emptywheel's "torture facts" for a little background.
WAR IS OVER.... (if you want it.....)
Well, keeping with all things Kafka that has surrounded Guantanamo let me place this in the hopper-- The U.S. and Nato held a ceremony today ending the "Afghan Mission." I wonder if the shooting will stop? I wonder if the drones will stop flying? I wonder if that means they will let all of the prisoners of war go home?
Of course none of this will happen.
Read more here about this end of the war.
And of course the war really isn't over. They couldn't even announce the ceremony or have the ceremony on the day the war is really supposed to be over because of the ongoing violence--sometimes referred to as war.
And while you are thinking about the absurdity of this ceremonial end of the war watch this:
The war will only be over when we demand it be over.
Of course none of this will happen.
Read more here about this end of the war.
And of course the war really isn't over. They couldn't even announce the ceremony or have the ceremony on the day the war is really supposed to be over because of the ongoing violence--sometimes referred to as war.
And while you are thinking about the absurdity of this ceremonial end of the war watch this:
The war will only be over when we demand it be over.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Thank You Uruguay- six men transferred yesterday-UPDATED
Department of defense press release:
The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of Ahmed Adnan Ahjam, Ali Hussain Shaabaan, Omar Mahmoud Faraj, Abdul Bin Mohammed Abis Ourgy, Mohammed Tahanmatan, and Jihad Diyab from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Government of Uruguay.
As directed by the president's Jan. 22, 2009, executive order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of this case. As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, these men were unanimously approved for transfer by the six departments and agencies comprising the task force.
In accordance with statutory requirements, the secretary of defense informed Congress of the United States' intent to transfer these individuals and of his determination that this transfer meets the statutory standard.
The United States is grateful to the Government of Uruguay for its willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The United States coordinated with the Government of Uruguay to ensure these transfers took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures.
Today, 136 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.
Emptywheel has more here-- including the statement from the attorney for one of the men.
Carol Rosenberg from the Miami Herald has more here
Glenn Greenwald at Intercept has more here. (including a great photoe capsulizing how things never changed from Bush to Obamam.....)
The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of Ahmed Adnan Ahjam, Ali Hussain Shaabaan, Omar Mahmoud Faraj, Abdul Bin Mohammed Abis Ourgy, Mohammed Tahanmatan, and Jihad Diyab from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Government of Uruguay.
As directed by the president's Jan. 22, 2009, executive order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of this case. As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, these men were unanimously approved for transfer by the six departments and agencies comprising the task force.
In accordance with statutory requirements, the secretary of defense informed Congress of the United States' intent to transfer these individuals and of his determination that this transfer meets the statutory standard.
The United States is grateful to the Government of Uruguay for its willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The United States coordinated with the Government of Uruguay to ensure these transfers took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures.
Today, 136 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.
Emptywheel has more here-- including the statement from the attorney for one of the men.
Carol Rosenberg from the Miami Herald has more here
Glenn Greenwald at Intercept has more here. (including a great photoe capsulizing how things never changed from Bush to Obamam.....)
Friday, December 5, 2014
The murder of unarmed people of color in the US...
Every once in a while I go off topic and this is one of those times. Actually there is alot of similarity between the plight of the Guantanamo detainees and the mass incarceration and murder of men of color in this country. In fact, I believe that most of the men at Guantanamo would have been summarily executed by Drone if the drone use was as widespread 13 years ago as Obama has made it now.
So with this in mind I leave you with this musical interlude. I usually post this song on September 12 in rememberance of Biko's murder but it seems very appropriate today.
So with this in mind I leave you with this musical interlude. I usually post this song on September 12 in rememberance of Biko's murder but it seems very appropriate today.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Transparency---Obama Style
Yes, once again showing his true colors Obama's department of justice filed an emergency motion to keep the force feeding video tapes out of public view---so that the world cannot see the torture inflicted on the men at Guantanamo who have engaged in a hunger strike. Read the spineless motion here.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Updating our unlawful definitions.....
Hats off to hullabaloo.
Secrecy News
DoD Updates Doctrine on “Detainee Operations”
When it comes to Department of Defense doctrine on military treatment of detained persons, “unlawful enemy combatants” are a thing of the past. That term has been retired and replaced by “unprivileged enemy belligerents” in a new revision of Joint Publication 3-13 on Detainee Operations, dated November 13, 2014.
Among other changes, the revised Publication adopts Article 75 of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions which provide minimum standards for humane treatment of detained persons. It also presents expanded discussion of biometric capabilities that are applicable to detainees.
The previous edition of Joint Publication 3-13, published in 2008, is available here for comparison.
European delegation to visit Guantanamo tomorrow....
I can't help but wonder if they will get the usual PR tour given to the press and US politicans. Read more about this visit here.
Friday, November 28, 2014
U.S. not in compliance with Convention Against Torture.......UPDATED
UN panel raps US record on torture--
From Associated Press
November 28, 2014 8:50 AM EST
GENEVA (AP) — A U.N.
panel has concluded that the United States falls short of full compliance with
an international anti-torture treaty.
The report by the U.N.
Committee Against Torture cites police brutality, military interrogations,
maximum security prisons, illegal migrants and solitary confinement among areas
of concern.
Alessio Bruni of Italy,
one of the panel's chief investigators, told reporters Friday in Geneva
"there are numerous areas in which certain things should be changed for
the United States to comply fully." The U.N. Convention Against Torture
took effect in 1987, and the United States ratified it in 1994.
The U.N. committee's 10
independent experts are responsible for reviewing the records of all 156 U.N.
member countries that have ratified the treaty against torture and all
"cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."
THE CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE.
EMPTYWHEEL HAS MORE HERE.
THE CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE.
EMPTYWHEEL HAS MORE HERE.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Talking dog interviews another Gitmo attorney
Click here for the latest talking dog interview. Attorney Jon Eisenberg has been at the forefront of a number of the issues confronting the Guantanamo detainees. His account is both frustrating and inspiring.
Dare I say "happy thanksgiving?"
Dare I say "happy thanksgiving?"
Sunday, November 23, 2014
By the numbers
One of my fellow gitmo colleagues is kind enough to keep track of the numbers for the rest of us. Here is the latest:
73 cleared for release--all but 19 are from Yemen.
59 forever detainees who have never been charged with anything (Including my client Razak ali)
7 facing charges in the made up military commission.
3 convicted in the made up military commission.
73 cleared for release--all but 19 are from Yemen.
59 forever detainees who have never been charged with anything (Including my client Razak ali)
7 facing charges in the made up military commission.
3 convicted in the made up military commission.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
One more released.....
The
Department of Defense announced today the transfer of Muhammed Murdi Issa
Al-Zahrani from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Government of
Saudi Arabia.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
FIVE RELEASED TODAY.....
The
Department of Defense announced today the transfer of Hashim Bin Ali Bin Amor
Sliti and Husayn Salim Muhammad Al-Mutari Yafai from the detention facility at
Guantanamo Bay to the Government of Slovakia.
The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of Salah Mohammed Salih Al-Dhabi, Abdel Ghaib Ahmad Hakim, and Abdul Khaled Al-Baydani from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Government of Georgia.
Best of luck to these five men.
The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of Salah Mohammed Salih Al-Dhabi, Abdel Ghaib Ahmad Hakim, and Abdul Khaled Al-Baydani from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Government of Georgia.
Best of luck to these five men.
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