Al-Jazeera Cameraman Still at Guantanamo

2-25-2007 • AP

Sami al-Hajj, of the Al-Jazeera TV network, was stopped at the Afghanistan border in December 2001, turned over to U.S. forces and hauled in chains to Guantanamo, where he has been held ever since.

Cleric Says He Was Tortured After Alleged CIA Abduction

2-23-2007 • AP

An Egyptian cleric, speaking publicly for the first time, said that Egyptian officials tortured him in prison after he was kidnapped in Italy — allegedly by CIA agents — and sent here for interrogation.

Expert: Padilla Unable to Stand Trial

2-22-2007 • AP

Alleged al-Qaida operative Jose Padilla suffers from intense stress and anxiety after being imprisoned in isolation for years and cannot adequately help his lawyers prepare for a criminal trial, a mental expert testified.

Psychiatrist says US terror suspect has Stockholm syndrome

2-22-2007 • AFP (Raw Story)

A forensic neuropsychiatrist said Padilla suffers from symptoms of the Stockholm syndrome, in which captives identify with their captors. "He's constantly advocating for the position of the government. He lacks the capacity to assist the co

Europe's rising unease over 'terror war'

2-21-2007 • Christian Science Monitor

That atmosphere in an open-ended terror war has prompted a closer look in Europe at the mechanics of cooperation with US intelligence agencies, opening the door to embarrassing questions into past behavior by EU states, including outsourcing torture.

Taking on Guantánamo

2-19-2007 • Vanity Fair

Assigned to defend a Guantánamo detainee, JAG lawyer Charles Swift joined up with legal scholar Neal Katyal and sued the president and secretary of defense over the new military-tribunal system. With their 2006 Supreme Court victory overridden by the

Jailed 2 Years, Iraqi Tells of Abuse by Americans

2-18-2007 • NY Times

Mr. Ani was brought to a table for one last step. He was asked to place a check mark next to the sentence that best described how he had been treated: “I didn’t go through any abuse during detention,” read the first option, in Arabic. “I have gone

Judge orders Padilla's military jailers to testify

2-16-2007 • Reuters

U.S. military prison doctors and staff must testify in court about the treatment of suspected al Qaeda operative Jose Padilla while he was held by presidential order as an "enemy combatant," a judge ruled.

Bill Would Restore Detainees' Rights, Define 'Combatant'

2-14-2007 • Washington Post

Senate Democrats introduced legislation that would restore habeas corpus rights to all detainees in U.S. custody and would narrowly define what it means to be an "enemy combatant" against the United States.

An Iraq Interrogator's Nightmare

2-11-2007 • Washington Post

The lead interrogator at the DIF had given me specific instructions: I was to deprive the detainee of sleep during my 12-hour shift by opening his cell every hour, forcing him to stand in a corner and stripping him of his clothes. 3 years later the t

Gitmo Cover-up?

2-11-2007 • ABC News blog

Lieutenant Colonel Colby Vokey, the superior officer to the Marine sergeant who filed the allegations, called the investigation "outrageous." "I am aware that the investigators interviewed only the suspects and some witnesses but did n

No Gitmo guard abuse evident, especially when you don't ask the beaten

2-7-2007 • AP

The Pentagon's inspector general said a group of more than 5 men who identified themselves as guards had recounted hitting prisoners. "The evidence did not support any of the allegations of mistreatment or harassment," said Southern Com

The Bush Torture Memos

2-7-2007 • by James Bovard (FFF)

President Bush is proposing to medievalize the American legal code by permitting the use of coerced confessions in judicial proceedings. This is one of the most stunning proposals in U.S. political life since Franklin Roosevelt banned private ownersh

Life harsher in new Guantanamo unit

2-4-2007 • AP

"They never touch another living thing," Willett said. "They never see, smell, or touch plants, soil, the sea or any creature, except insects." Willett said he does not know why Mamut, who is about 30, or the other Uighurs were

Guantanamo Muslim adviser treads lightly

1-28-2007 • AP

Known only as "Zak" to the detention staff and "Zaki" to detainees, he is Guantanamo Bay's Muslim cultural adviser, a civilian employee who meets with them and helps their American captors understand their ways.

Officer to Be Court-Martialed in Abu Ghraib Case

1-28-2007 • NY Times

The only US military officer charged with a crime in the Abu Ghraib scandal will be court-martialed on 8 charges, including cruelty and maltreatment of prisoners, the Army said. Jordan said he had no operational control over interrogations and

Video of police tasering a man to death

01-23-2007 • liveleak.com

In Gwinnett County, Georgia, an un-edited police videotape shows 31-year-old Deacon Frederick Williams being struck with a TASER five times in 43 seconds, just 4 minutes after being led into the jail. He was handcuffed behind his back and in leg rest

Detainee letters show window into Guantanamo life

1-18-2007 • Reuters

One of the 14 "high value" detainees transferred last year from secret CIA prisons to the U.S. military camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, says in a letter to his wife she should not dwell on the thought of his return, The Washington Post report

Law groups want Pentagon official fired

1-16-2007 • AP

A senior Pentagon official should be fired for suggesting a boycott of American law firms defending detainees at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, four law organizations said in a letter to President Bush.

Torture Research Is Lacking, Report Says

1-17-2007 • Washington Post (ink to report)

There is almost no scientific evidence to back up the U.S. intelligence community's use of controversial interrogation techniques in the fight against terrorism, and experts believe some painful and coercive approaches could hinder the ability to

Official Attacks Top Law Firms Over Detainees

1-13-2007 • NY Times

The senior Pentagon official in charge of military detainees suspected of terrorism was dismayed lawyers at many of the nation’s top firms were representing prisoners at Guantánamo, and firms’ corporate clients should end business ties.

Guantanamo prison draws protests worldwide

1-12-2007 • Reuters

Demonstrators -- some wearing Guantanamo-style orange jumpsuits -- staged protests from Melbourne to London and Washington against the U.S. military prison in Cuba where terrorism suspects have been held for years without trial.

A Legacy of Torture

1-8-2007 • by Ron Jacobs (Counterpunch)

This is the way it worked: the tow SFPD officers would ask intimidating questions hoping to get confessions. When Taylor and Brown refused to go along, they would leave the room. Then the men were tortured by the New Orleans officers for days.

Suddenly Padilla now a foot soldier

1-4-2007 • NY Times

Mr. Padilla, a US citizen accused of plotting a “dirty bomb” attack against this country, was declared an enemy combatant. His criminal trial will feature none of the initial claims about violent plotting with Al Qaeda. Effectively demoting him to fo

FBI Reports Duct-Taping, 'Baptizing' at Guantanamo

1-3-2007 • Washington Post

FBI agents witnessed possible mistreatment of the Koran at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, including at least one instance in which an interrogator squatted over Islam's holy text in an apparent attempt to offend a captive,

FBI details possible detainee abuse

1-3-2007 • AP (with doc link)

Documents released by the FBI offered new details about the harsh interrogation practices used by military officials and contractors when questioning so-called enemy combatants. Describe a female guard who wiped menstrual blood on their face. Anoth

Five Years of Infamy: Close Guantanamo!

12-27-2006 • by Colonel Ann Wright (TruthOut)

More than 775 detainees have been held in Guantanamo. "Only detainees who will be charged with law-of-war violations and other grave offenses - about 75 detainees, officials estimated - will be subject to the commissions."

Torture Is Now Part of the American Soul

12-20-2006 • The Guardian

After thousands of years of practice, you might have imagined that every possible means of inflicting pain had already been devised. But you should never underestimate the human capacity for invention. US interrogators have found a new way of destroy

U.S. Inquiry Falters on Civilians Accused of Abusing Detainees

12-19-2006 • NY Times

A Justice Department team responsible for investigating accusations that civilian government employees had abused detainees has decided against prosecution in most of the nearly 20 cases referred in the last two years by the Pentagon and the CIA.

'04 Pentagon Report Cited Detention Concerns

12-14-2006 • Washington Post

A Pentagon report concluded that the three terrorism suspects held at a brig in South Carolina were subjected to months of isolation, and it warned that their "unique" solitary confinement could be viewed as violating U.S. detention standar