Sunday, January 12, 2014


Dennis Loo writes about why the U.S. has not closed Guantanamo, and the curious continuation of the US prison at Bagram, after the U.S. has "turned over" the prison to Afghan authorities, but is still denying third country nationals habeas corpus rights because the prison's in a war zone:
While Obama cites Congressional interference for his inability to close GTMO, he has not allowed Congressional interference and opposition to his drone assassination program to stop him from using drones to kill thousands. Why is the POTUS powerless in the first instance to act in spite of some Congressional opposition and all powerful in the second, again in the face of Congressional opposition?

As reported by McClatchy on December 24, 2013, the US District Court of Appeals for D.C. upheld its earlier decision to once again deny four Bagram prisoners rights to habeas corpus appeals (the right to challenge their indefinite detention) on the grounds that Bagram is in a “war theatre” and therefore habeas corpus rights can be legitimately suspended. As McClatchy points out, the US is occupying, not waging war, according to its own statements. It can further be added here a) that the US is the foreign occupying force and any fighting going on is directly related to its continuing presence, and b) that Bagram prison has since March 2013 formally been under Afghan control. The ongoing power being exercised by the US occupiers, however, is evident in the Court’s ruling where they state:


“We note that the Appellants’ current status is unclear. Although the Government represented in May 2011 that it detained them at the DFIP [Detention Facility in Parwan (DFIP), just outside Bagram], it has since ceded the DFIP to Afghan control. The record does not disclose whether, after that cession, the Appellants remain there or at some other facility and the Government has not informed us of the Appellants’ current location. The Appellants claim in their briefs—filed after the transfer of the DFIP to Afghan control—that the United States continues to detain them at ‘a separate prison facility at Bagram.’ …. Because the Government concedes its continuing custody over four of the five Appellants, we accept the Appellants’ alleged location of their detention as accurate for the purpose of our jurisdictional analysis.”
Continue reading Why is Guantanamo Still Open?

Dennis Loo will speak, along with Andy Worthington, at Cal Poly Pomona on January 17. The Close Guantanamo NOW Tour kicks off in NYC tonight!

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Due to an injury, regrettably, after January 9 in New York City, Debra Sweet will not be traveling on the Close Guantanamo NOW Tour, and will be replaced by other World Can't Wait leaders.

January 9-17: the Close Guantanamo NOW Tour
Full tour schedule and details.

Protesting for Shaker Aamer at Union Station DC
Above: Witness Against Torture protesting for Guantanamo detainee Shaker Aamer at Union Station, DC on January 8.
Protest to Close Guantanamo NOW!
Washington, DC, Miami, Santa Monica, Chicago, Honolulu, London... see the full list of events and details.

3 convicted
Speak Out Against Prison for Non-violent Anti-Nuclear Weapons Protesters
Nuclear weapons themselves are illegitimate, and only criminals use and maintain them. People who protest their use and maintenance are thinking about humanity and we support them. We received the following appeal:
On January 28, 2014, three nonviolent protesters against nuclear weapons, Sr. Megan Rice, Michael Walli and Gregory Boertje-Obed, are scheduled to be sentenced in U.S. District Court in Knoxville, Tennessee, for the supposed crime of sabotage.

Please write to Judge Thapar to encourage leniency for the Oak Ridge 3, nonviolent protesters of nuclear weapons.


Background:
Washington Post: The Prophets of Oak Ridge
Daily News: Elderly Nun, 2 Other Protestors Found Guilty of Sabotage
Transform Now Plowshares
National Catholic Register: Trial Ends With Unusual Sentence
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Debra Sweet, Director, The World Can't Wait

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