Guantánamo

07/31/2008
Guantánamo

"It's My Country, Too."

By Ben Wizner, Director, ACLU Speech, Privacy & Technology Project at 11:29am

(Originally posted on Daily Kos.)

On Wednesday, we discovered that the government may actually be more intent on covering up its own criminality than in establishing Hamdan's. Or perhaps the prosecution simply recognizes that an acquittal is virtually inconceivable in any military commission trial. Whatever the reason, the government demonstrated that it would rather lose the testimony of a key witness than allow Guantánamo's secret interrogation regime to be exposed to public or judicial scrutiny.

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07/29/2008
Guantánamo

In the Eye of the Beholder

By Ben Wizner, Director, ACLU Speech, Privacy & Technology Project at 11:35am

(Originally posted on Daily Kos.)

It was movie day at the military commission trial of Salim Hamdan — or rather, in the government’s words, “motion picture presentation” day. The motion picture in question was The Al-Qaida Plan, a 90-minute video commissioned by the Pentagon for use at military tribunals and prepared and presented by one Evan Kohlman, a 29-year-old self-described “International Terrorism Consultant” who has been dubbed “the Doogie Howser of Terrorism.” The purpose of this exercise was to allow the prosecution to present a stockpile of footage depicting bearded Arabs firing guns, charred bodies, gruesome beheadings, and the September 11 carnage — even though every single government witness to take the stand has testified that Hamdan had no role in the planning or execution of any terrorist attack, let alone 9/11.

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02/25/2008
Guantánamo

Orange Ribbons on the Red Carpet

By Jenny Egan at 2:32pm
?The hype around this year's Oscars, which took place last night at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, seemed to be triple because the writer's strike meant that the usual precursor shows like the Golden Globes were stiff, studio-shot affairs. So there were even more eyes peeled for dresses, style, and statements last night.

The ACLU was right in the mix. The first major nominee down th
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08/20/2007
Detention

Due Process for Abu Ghraib Officer

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
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06/15/2007
Detention

Happy Birthday Habeas- Waiting for Acknowledgement

By Gabe Rottman, Legislative Counsel, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 12:29pm
I remember your birthday although it seems many have no memory that you exist! I continue to remind them that you are yet alive and waiting for them to acknowldege you! Happy Birthday, RAH -Richard A, IN
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05/11/2007
Detention

James Spader

By Gabe Rottman, Legislative Counsel, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 1:20pm
This is brilliant.
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04/25/2007
Guantánamo

"An Attempt to Rehabilitate..."

By Gabe Rottman, Legislative Counsel, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 4:57pm
Serious stuff now. The military has formally charged only the second of the detainees currently awaiting military commission (doesn't quite have the same ring as "awaiting trial"), a 20-year-old Canadian named Omar Khadr. (Remember that the vast majority of the detainees will not be charged under the military commission scheme; some will remain locked up indefinitely as
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04/18/2007
Guantánamo

Reports of H’s Death Premature?

By Gabe Rottman, Legislative Counsel, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 10:19am
A dirge for Lady Liberty and her helpmate, Mr. Corpus, from HuffPo:
Six months ago today, you lost a piece of your soul. You may not have realized it, even though this loss was painful. Even though you are less moral, righteous, and fair for it. Six months ago today, a piece
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03/01/2007
Guantánamo

A Warm Welcome

By Gabe Rottman, Legislative Counsel, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 12:07pm
First off, let me welcome you to the inaugural of our habeas blog. Thank you for joining us, and I hope you'll continue to come back for the latest news and analysis on the ongoing campaign to restore habeas rights to their historical scope and vigor. Two (or three) words about me: I'm nobody, really. I used to work as a senior writer at the
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08/02/2012
Military Commissions

Guantánamo Military Judge Grants ACLU’s Request to Argue Against Censorship of 9/11 Defendants’ Testimony

By Hina Shamsi, Director, ACLU National Security Project at 6:18pm

In an order made public today, a military commissions judge at Guantánamo Bay announced that he will hear oral argument on the ACLU’s challenge to censorship of torture at the trial of the 9/11 defendants.

In May, we filed a motion asking the military commission to deny the government’s request to suppress statements by the defendants about their treatment while in U.S. custody, including torture and other abuse.  As we said in our motion,

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