JURIST - Guantanamo

GUANTANAMO

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	U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay has a unique posture in the Western Hemisphere in that it is the oldest U.S. base outside the continental United States, and the only one in a country that does not enjoy an open political relationship with the United States. Located in the Oriente Province on the southeast corner of Cuba, the base is about 400 air miles from Miami, Fla. In February 1903, the United States leased 45 square miles of land and water at Guantanamo Bay for use as a coaling (fueling) station. The treaty was finalized and the document was ratified by both governments and signed in Havana in December of that same year. The most recent addition to the base is the Southern Command Joint Task Force Guantanamo. Following the attacks on New York and Washington on September 11, 2001, Joint Task Force Guantanamo was tasked to stand up the War on Terrorism detainee mission... [ USN ]

Federal judge orders release of Algerian held at Guantanamo
November 21, 2009

[JURIST] A federal judge on Friday ordered the release [order, PDF] of Algerian Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] detainee Farhi Saeed Bin Mohammed. Judge Gladys Kessler directed the government to "take all necessary and approrpriate steps to facilitate [Fari Saeed's] release forthwith." The orde....... [more]

UK court orders release of details of ex-Guantanamo detainee's treatment
November 19, 2009

[JURIST] The UK High Court ruled [judgment text] Thursday that the details of the detention of Binyam Mohamed [JURIST news archive] in Pakistan in 2002 must be released. This most recent decision is the latest in a series of back and forth rulings on whether redacted materials regarding Mohamed's de....... [more]

Federal judge rules against military lawyers for former Guantanamo detainee
November 19, 2009

[JURIST] A federal judge on Wednesday ruled [opinion, PDF] that former Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] detainee Ahmed Ghailani [GlobalSecurity backgrounder; JURIST news archive] does not have a right to be represented by his military defense lawyers in a civilian court. Military lawyers Colonel....... [more]

UK court rules evidence may be kept secret in torture suit
November 18, 2009

[JURIST] The British High Court [official website] ruled [judgment text] Wednesday that the government may withhold evidence from seven claimants suing UK intelligence services MI5 and MI6 [official websites] for their roles in alleged torture at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive]. The court ruled....... [more]

Senate defeats amendment to block funds for holding Guantanamo detainees in US
November 18, 2009

[JURIST] The US Senate [official website] on Tuesday rejected an attempt to bar using federal funds to build or modify prisons in the US to hold detainees from Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive]. By a mostly party-line 57-43 vote [roll call vote], the Senate defeated an amendment [S AMDT 2774 text....... [more]

Illinois Democrats favor transferring Guantanamo detainees to local prison
November 16, 2009

[JURIST] Illinois Governor Pat Quinn (D) and US Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) [official websites] expressed support [press release] Sunday for the Obama administration's proposal to move Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] detainees to a facility in Northwestern Illinois. The Obama administration is r....... [more]

Illinois prison may be used to house Guantanamo detainees: reports
November 15, 2009

[JURIST] While House officials are considering purchasing a prison facility in northwestern Illinois to house terrorism suspects currently being held at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive], according to media reports Saturday. The Thomson Correctional Facility [IDOC backgrounder], a maximum securit....... [more]

Khadr likely to face military commission: Holder
November 13, 2009

[JURIST] US Attorney General Eric Holder [official website] said Friday that Canadian Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr [DOD materials; JURIST news archive] will likely be tried in the US military commission [JURIST news archive] system. Speaking during a news conference Friday after announcing [JURIST....... [more]

White House counsel resigning in wake of Guantanamo criticisms
November 13, 2009

[JURIST] The White House announced [press release] Friday that Gregory Craig [WhoRunsGov profile] is resigning as White House Counsel and will be replaced by Bob Bauer [profile profile], Obama's personal attorney. Craig's resignation [letter, PDF], effective in January, comes after months of critici....... [more]

Guantanamo detainee appealing suspension of habeas corpus proceedings
November 12, 2009

[JURIST] A Tajikistan native held at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] has challenged [appellate brief, PDF] a federal judge's decision to suspend his habeas corpus proceedings after he was cleared for transfer to Tajikistan. Umar Hamzayevich Abdulayev alleges that Judge Reggie Walton of the US D....... [more]

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