last musical thought....

Anger is important too....

We are nearing the end of this holiday musical interlude but before we get to the end (no this is not quite the end)- remember that anger has an important role in this.... As I have often said "yes I am pissed off" in fact, you could never imagine just how angry I am....so please be angry -and show it.

Hope (Con't)

Fortunately I have a good imagination- sometimes I think that is all that keeps me going....

Is there Hope for the US?

Continuing this musical interlude with a little hope.....THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO HAVE AND ARE OCCUPYING THIS COUNTRY AND ATTEMPTING TO FREE US FROM THE BANKSTERS, THE FAKE (FOX) NEWS (and others)- OUR POLITICAL "leaders".... and the list goes on.

For Razak on this day when we here in the US celebrate our freedom....

This song was written about a slave....when I meet with Razak Ali -my remaining client at Guantanamo he is always chained- but gracious and happy for the food I bring. I am constantly reminded of this song which was a favorite of my dad.. just another part of our legacy....

the other legacy....

Lest we forget our newest legacy....

Happy 4th?

Some interesting things going on....

Time will tell but there are a few stories that I am keeping my eyes on:

First is the leak that some of the Afghan men at Gitmo may be heading to an Afghani prison (run by the US of course). The thing that is different about this story is that it is not about the 4 or 5 top Taliban guys that have been in discussions for about a year but instead it is about the farmers and other innocents being held. It has always been ironic -especially to the men at Guantanamo- that many of the first ones to leave (even before attorneys were allowed on the base) were the ones who were involved in at least some hostilities.... anyway read more about this here.

Second is this story about the military abruptly dropping charges against a Kuwaiti man (read it here)....while at the same time it seems that at least some talks have resumed with Kuwait about taking there remaining two men. It doesn't look like the talks are going anywhere very quickly (see this article by the Kuwaiti's military attorney Barry Wingard)....but maybe it is a start.

And then there is Omar Khadr, the young man we have been holding at Guantanamo since he was 15 years old. Canada (SHAME ON CANADA) still refuses to repatriate him but it seems he is getting a pretty good education while he waits....read more on that here.  Despite the horrific things my country has done to this young man at least he is not being warehoused like the other men...the military cannot even bother letting the men learn english, nevertheless some life skills while they wait. Yes, I know the military claims the men can take English and Art but that is propaganda....

And finally there is this story- Gitmo gets a new admiral and some are acting like its the 4th of July or some shit....I mean really- this is the first time I have read any pomp and glory surrounding a change of hands- is it really that the last guy was so bad they are celebrating his exit (he really was bad) or is it just another WTF moment....stay tuned.

FROM ROGER FITCH AND OUR FRIENDS DOWN UNDER AT JUSTINIAN

Election year show trials

Monday, June 25, 2012
Justinian in Citizens United, Drones, Guantanamo, Habeas, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Roger Fitch Esq

US Supremes summarily dismiss review of Citizens United ... Judicial appointments frozen ... Obama's drone frenzy makes him "hit-man-in-chief" ... Guantánamo trials seek to neuter Republican bellicosity ... The sham of habeas hearings ... Our Man in Washington reports 

Obama: launched six times as many drones as "lawless yahoo Bush"

IT'S an election year, and Mother Jones has a handy list of how much a seat in Congress will cost you.

These calculations are not mere cynicism, as the 2010 Citizens United decision of the Supreme Court has made unlimited corporate money the essential medium in US elections.

Now the Supreme Court's conservative majority has just dismissed in a single paragraph attempts by Montana, or any other state, to impose restraints on corporate election spending. 

Meanwhile, the lower courts remain clogged with around 70 judicial vacancies remaining to be filled. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST....

THANK YOU JIMMY CARTER

As a much younger friend asked me today- "why didn't you reelect him back when I was in diapers"...
yes, I too am sorry about that...but read this great patriots opinion piece on the dismal human rights record of the good ole U. S. of A.....
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/opinion/americas-shameful-human-rights-record.html?_r=3

ONLY ONE SENATOR THAT CARES ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION?

Maybe we should consider ourselves fortunate that there is one Senator out there who gives a shit about things like the Constitution but it is depressing that this is the only one...Read this whole article to get a better understanding about how our government works these days....secret committee meetings- votes without discussion...this is supposed to be our government but the powers to be are keeping their work secret from us....and you have to ask yourself, who are they protecting? it ain't me, I can tell you that for sure...
Emptywheel has more here....

"The Story"

Today I was on Dick Gordon's "the story" once again- this time talking about my client Razak Ali and the frustrations in dealing with our courts and the government as they aside what used to be a pretty grand system of laws in this here U.S. of A.
You can listen to it here.

Habeas Corpus is officially DEAD

Once the cornerstone of the free world- Habeas Corpus -the centuries old proposition that, in essence, allows one to come before the court and demand to be told why they are being held- is now dead. The D.C. Circuit, which is the appellate court for all of the Guantanamo cases has ruled against the men held at Guantanamo in every single case, basically finding that any reason (OR NO REASON) that the military/executive branch states for holding someone is good enough-- and today the Supreme Court refused to review any of the seven cases that were seeking to overturn the DC Circuit.
Emptywheel has a nice tidy summary here and ScotUS blog has a more in depth look here.

ALGERIA ACQUITS TWO FORMER GITMO DETAINEES

My remaining client at Guantanamo is Algerian so I have been anxiously awaiting the news from Algeria regarding the fate of two former Guantanamo detainees who were returned home and quickly charged by the Algerians for being connected to terrorists "because the Americans said so." Today we learned that the final two were acquitted by the Algerian court after finding there was no evidence they belonged to a terrorist group.
You can read more here.
I feel very confident that my client would have the same fate if only I could get him home-as our government has absolutely no evidence that he was tied to any illegal or terrorist activity. Unfortunately our Government has no interest in sending the men who remain at Guantanamo and COULD go home, back to their homelands... so my client remains.
Shame on my country.