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11 Jan 2012 14:10

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U.S.: Guantanamo Bay has seen a decade as a detainee facility

  • A controversial anniversary: It was ten years ago to the day that the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba was turned into a prison facility, designed to house suspected terrorist detainees indefinitely, pending a process of oft-criticized military tribunals. For the Obama administration, this was an occasion they once hoped (and indeed promised) would not happen; the President’s first full day in office was marked with the signing of an order to close the facility within a year. Three years on, and the failure to fulfill this promise (as well as the absence of any earnest public explanation of it) does beg the question: was this truly a moral issue for the President, or simply a made-to-order, feel-good issue to stoke a liberal base? Check the link for a very thoughtful piece on the anniversary of Gitmo from The Atlantic’s Andrew Cohen. (photo by Paul J. Richards, AFP/Getty Images) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Apr 2011 21:53

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World: Wikileaks: Former Gitmo detainee now key Libyan rebel figure

Abu Sufian Ibrahim Ahmed Hamuda bin Qumu spent nearly a year in Guantanamo on the belief he had ties to al-Qaeda. Now he’s a leader amongst Libyan rebels. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Nov 2010 00:19

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U.S., World: Five random facts from Wikileaks’ diplomatic cable leak

  • one China was behind the hack attack that led Google to temporarily withdraw from the country. (Duh.)
  • two Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah wants the U.S. to attack Iran to kill off its nuclear program. (Hmm.)
  • three The Afghan vice-president came a-knockin’ in the UAE with $52 million dollars in his luggage.
  • four The U.S. worries about Silvio Berlusconi’s tight friendship with Vladimir Putin, but not Leo’s.
  • five Obama would only meet with Slovenia if they took a Gitmo detainee from the U.S. Wow. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Dec 2009 00:56

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U.S.: Thomson, Illinois is looking a lot like Guantanamo Bay right now

The rural town, 150 miles south of Chicago, will reportedly house some of the detainees being vacated from Gitmo. People will complain … soon. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Dec 2009 11:14

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U.S.: The Supreme Court skips out on defining Gitmo prisoner rights

Four Guantanamo prisoners (including these two) sued over torture allegations. An appeals court dismissed their case; now the Supreme Court does the same. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Nov 2009 23:29

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U.S.: Not a good month to be an Obama staffer tied to Gitmo

  • first Gregory Craig, who was in charge of policy for detainees, left the White House. Time has a great article about his downfall here.
  • second Phillip Carter, a Defense Department official in charge of closing Guantanamo, resigned for “personal reasons.” Hmm. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Apr 2009 09:33

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U.S.: 100 days: Love him or hate him, Obama gets stuff done

obamabig0429
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

21 Jan 2009 10:34

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U.S., World: Obama pauses Gitmo prosecutions, for now

  • 21 detainees will have their prosecutions put on hold; Obama did not shut down Guantanamo Bay, though source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Jan 2009 14:27

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U.S., World: A top Bush official says yes, torture was used at Gitmo

  • The techniques they used were all authorized, but the manner in which they applied them was overly aggressive and too persistent.
  • Susan J. Crawford • on the treatment of puported 9/11 conspirator Mohammed al-Qahtani at Guantanamo Bay. Crawford, a top Bush administration official, says that the treatment is equivalent to torture. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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