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Guantanamo News Sunday

By possum

Guantanamo Bay and the detention of various persons held there by the Bush administration continue to bring news reports of varying sorts.  The recent visit to the facility of Crystle Stewart, Miss USA, and Miss Universe, Dayana Mendoza, of Venezuela brought varying reviews.  In her blog the Ms. Stewart described the

water in the bay as "sooo beautiful" and the camp as "very interesting."

Critics of the visit had a different view saying

the camp violated the Geneva Conventions ban on allowing detainees to be an object of "public curiosity" by allowing the two beauty queens to see a prisoner compound.

Guards suggested the detainees did not seem to notice the visitors.  (Hard to believe but that is what the news reports.)
The naval lawyer assigned to represent Omar Khadr, Lt. Cmdr. William C. Kuebler, has been reassigned.

In his two years on the case, Commander Kuebler campaigned for Mr. Khadr's return to Canada to short-circuit a military tribunal system that he described as unfair.

In the past in an effort to defend his client Commander Kuebler

complained about Colonel Masciola's cooperation with the review of Guantánamo cases that was intended to decide whether the cases should be tried in civilian or military courts or some combination of the two.

In the past such reassignments meant cases were put on indefinite hold.  The outcome for Khadr remains to be seen.

Citing a 2005 law Alabama (R) Sen. Jeff Sessions says bringing Guantanamo detainees to U.S. soil may be illegal.

Sessions cites a 2005 change in federal law that banned the admission to the U.S. of "any alien who had engaged in various forms of terrorist activity or training."

Sessions refers to the Uighurs in specific terms as being in violation of the law.

In a recent ruling Hedi Hammamy, a 40-year-old Tunisian, was found eligible for continued detention.  In his ruling Judge Leon wroteHammamy

provides no basis to account for how his identity papers somehow mysteriously traveled the hundreds of miles from the point of their theft in Pakistan to the highly secluded mountain hideaway of Tora Bora.

And so the tales continue day by day.

Peace.

Full post as published by Never In Our Names on April 05, 2009 (boomark / email).