Obama's Speech

Well I know I part with some in the civil rights area on my analysis of the Obama speech today but I think he is doing OK on this for now. Yes, my clients are still at Gitmo and Yes, I do not know when they will get the hell out of there but I think Obama is setting a good course and he is prioritizing and picking his fights.... and when you have more than half the democrats afraid of their own shadows I think he is choosing wisely. The only question in my mind is whether or not he can and will show the leadership necessary to follow through with what he is saying. Once we get the place closed and the vast majority of the men somewhere safer than Guantanamo we can deal with the other issues.
Well anyway, that is my take.

Judge Bates Defines the Government's Authority to Detain

Judge Bates is the judge in my client Al-Ghizzawi's case. In a thoughtful opinion Judge Bates defines the scope of the Government's Authority to detain the men whose cases are before him. Although I have not been happy with some of Judge Bates' rulings I am happy with this one. click on the title to read what ScotUS has to say and also for a link to the decision.

Gitmo Detainee Brought to NY to face charges

Last night the first Gitmo Detainee was brought to the US to face charges in NY where he was indicted. Some how I don't think New Yorkers are going to be shaking in their boots at the thought that this man is on US soil.

Spanish Investigation Update

Another Talking Dog Interview

This time the Talking Dog interviews habeas counsel Ramzi Kassem. Click on the title for another great interview.

Todays Supreme Court decision and the idiotic press that has reported on it...

Today the supreme court ruled that the pleading standard is a little bit tighter in cases involving qualified immunity. Unfortunately the media has again mischaracterized a major court decision and wrongly announced that the Court has held that officials cannot be sued based on their conduct in rounding up muslims following 911. I guess no one in the media can be bothered actually having someone who knows a little something about the law read the decision before reporting on it. Anyway the case was ultimately sent back to the 2nd circuit to decide if the Plaintiffs should be given the chance to amend their complaint. I think recent news on Rumsfeld's actual briefings should help at the repleading stage.
Click on the title to read the actual Supreme Court decision.
Just a little legal interlude here....

Why Obama's decision to restart military commissions is wrong

Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi

There has not been much coverage about the death of this man in a Libyan prison. Al-Shaykh was one of our many ghost prisoners. We used this particular man to try to get evidence of a link between Al-Qaeda and Saddam... when we finished torturing him we turned him over to the Libyans who in-turn disappeared him into their prison system. Finally on April 27th human rights watch was allowed to meet with him and a few others. He had nothing to say to them except something along the lines of "where were you when I was being tortured?" Now he is dead...the Libyan's say he committed suicide but we will probably never know if that is the truth. What we do know is that his death came at a convenient time... a time when it has first started to surface that we were using torture to try to get some of these men to provide a link between al-Qaeda and Saddam....since there was no link, torture was the only way to get people to say that there was a connection.
Andy Worthington has more.

Boumediene is on his way to France

Read more about Boumediene at cage prisoners.

I guess we cannot handle it....Updated

The Obama administration has barred the release of more pictures of prisoner abuse. This is a mistake that will not end here....
As said this will not end here. Some of these pictures are now being released from a site in Australia. I have a link to an article that will take you there. I don't need to see them but I resent Obama banning them.... The US engaged in horrendous conduct and we can't move forward until we face our past. One thing is certain...eventually all of these photos will be public.
Click on the title for more or here

Sabotaging the plan to close gitmo

We need everyone to raise a stink about this. The senate is now seeking to put provisions into the budget that no detainee from Guantanamo can come to US soil. This of course means that Guantanamo cannot be closed. The European community has made it clear that they will help us if we take the first steps.... we must take some of the men and they will help by taking others. Without their help we cannot close Guantanamo. This is clearly a plan by the Bush enablers... but unfortunately we have too many spineless democrats too.
Call, Email and Raise Hell.

What is going on with the Spanish??

Click on the title for more on the Spanish investigation into the US war criminals.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE SUNDAY MAGAZINE

The Chicago Tribune ran its cover story today on the Chicago attorneys who are involved in the Guantanamo litigation. Tribune reporter Tom Hundley actually tracked me down in The Hague to look at the issues that I have confronted.
Click on the title for the full story

what is going on??

while I am back at the secret place and spending too much time looking at total bullshit let me give you a few things to read...
start with the homicides

move your way on to pruning shears

and if Andy Worthington is not on your regular list to check, go now....

and last but not least do not forget our friend the talking dog....

as for me.... I am back to the secret place so I can continue to beat my head against the wall.

Another Habeas Win

Today Judge Kessler granted the Habeas Petition by ALI AHMED. The hearing was two weeks ago and the unclassified opinion should be available by the end of the week.

Docket Text:
ORDER: For the reasons stated in this Court's Classified Memorandum Opinion, Petitioner Alla Ali Bin Ali Ahmed's Petition for a Writ of Habeas Corpus is hereby GRANTED; the Government shall take all necessary and appropriate diplomatic steps to facilitate Petitioner's release forthwith and shall report back to the Court no later than June 15, 2009, as to the status of Petitioner's release. Signed by Judge Gladys Kessler on 5/5/09. (CL, )