By Dror Ladin, ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project & Kate Desormeau, ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project at 10:42am
Abdullah al-Kidd is a Kansas-born American citizen, a father, and a graduate of the University of Idaho where he was a star football player. And in 2003, he became the victim of the FBI’s misuse of a little-known federal law to imprison him without charges. He was arrested and imprisoned under harsh conditions for more than two weeks—even though the FBI had no probable cause to believe he had done anything wrong. The ACLU represents Mr. al-Kidd in his effort to hold the government accountable for its violation of his rights. Last week, the federal district court in Idaho issued two long-awaited decisions calling the FBI to account for Mr. al-Kidd’s unlawful arrest.
By Zachary Katznelson, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU National Security Project at 10:38am
Wednesday marks 10 years since the prison at Guantánamo Bay opened. Former detainee Lakhdar Boumediene tells the harrowing tale of the 7 1/2 years he spent imprisoned there.
By Gabe Rottman, Legislative Counsel, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 3:35pm
Two charges dropped against Lt. Col. Steve Jordan after military court determines that he wasn't read his rights before being interviewed by a senior officer (to whom he allegedly lied about abuse at Abu Ghraib).
The charges against Jordan were tossed when it was learned Jordan was not re
By Zachary Katznelson, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU National Security Project at 5:12pm
Ten years on, Guantánamo authorities are back to their old tricks, throwing up roadblocks to fair trials. But now the top defense lawyer for the controversial Guantánamo military commission system has ordered the attorneys under his command not to comply with new rules issued by the Guantánamo prison chief that require Defense Department screening of all written materials lawyers want to send to their clients.
By Sam Milgrom, Washington Legislative Office at 2:57pm
Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) made it clear that significant changes to the detention provisions in the Defense Authorization bill are in order. In a letter to Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and John McCain (R-AZ), Reid told the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee to fix the detention provisions in "S.1253" – the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (NDAA), a must-pass piece of legislation. Reid's letter states that he does not intend to bring the bill to the Senate floor until sections 1031, 1032, and 1033 are changed.
By Jamil Dakwar, Director, ACLU Human Rights Program at 3:01pm
Many people in the United States and around the world remember the horrific events of September 11th, 2001 as some of the worst crimes against humanity of the last decade. These attacks savagely flouted the fundamental values of international human rights.
While the international community was united behind the U.S. call to bring those responsible to justice, the struggle against terrorism — hardly a new enterprise — took a wrong turn towards undermining the international legal frameworks and accountability mechanisms that were developed after World War II.
By Hina Shamsi, Director, ACLU National Security Project at 4:33pm
Almost ten years after 9/11, in May of this year, a majority of the US House of Representatives voted to give President Obama — and all future presidents — more war authority than Congress gave to President Bush two days after the 9/11 attacks: a president would no longer have to show a connection to 9/11, or even any specific threat to America, before using military force anywhere in the world that a terrorism suspect may be found, including within the United States.
By Sam Milgrom, Washington Legislative Office at 5:11pm
Former Vice President Dick Cheney is busy promoting his new book. The take-home message appears to be: He is not sorry for the torture and abuse that took place during the Bush administration.
