On the heels of the Supreme Court’s decision affirming basic constitutional protections for detainees, a report has emerged that shows precisely why habeas corpus is so important. The Administration is accused of knowing that certain detainees were in fact innocent but still held them for years.
Mohammed Akhtiar is one of roughly 770 terrorism suspects imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, under the claim that he was one of “the worst of the worst.” Yet, it appears that the government knew that he was not guilty at all, but without any access to federal courts he was left to the mercies of the Bush Administration — which had little interest in correcting the injustice done to him, according to this report.
For the full story, click here
Bob,
A sad commentary on our congress, both parties, and the so-called MSM.
“Administration Accused of Holding Detainees That It Knew Were Innocent”
Rick: How can you close me up? On what grounds?
Captain Renault: I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!
[a croupier hands Renault a pile of money]
Croupier: Your winnings, sir.
Captain Renault: [sotto voce] Oh, thank you very much.
[aloud]
Captain Renault: Everybody out at once!
I know exactly where you think you got your information
– I suggest you’ve misinterpreted it.
As a health professional, I am very protective of patient privacy,
and a stickler for accuracy, with respect to health information.
Maybe Professor Turley knows what happened to our kindred spirit, DW. I hope he is enjoying a long relaxing vacation with surf, sand, and serenity.
Patty C., You’re correct that he didn’t mention a heart attack. I infered that from what he said below. It sounds as if he had some type of cardiac event. Whatever is the case, I really miss the insight he brought to this blog.
deeply worried 1, May 5, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Better weekend than I had.
Saturday: breakfast and then garden shopping w/wife. Noon, strapped to gurney & ambulance ride to emergency room, disembodied voices asking me my name repeatedly, admittance to hospital for stabilization/observation. Horrid cardiac menu with clear liquids and jello and chicken soup broth, weak coffee.
No s’mores! No campfire! No scenery!
Rafflaw,
I really agree with what you wrote about Gitmo!
Jill
Sunday late: release from hospital.
Ah well.
We shouldn’t be surprised that the Bush Administration has been hiding innocent people at Gitmo for years. They tried to hide the torture going on and that eventually surfaced and now the report confirming that they knew that they are holding people who do not belong there. This report is the prime example of why Habeas is needed at Gitmo.
I miss DW, too, Jill, but at no time did he state he had suffered a heart attack.
What he complained of was that while in hospital after his ‘episode’ was having being placed on a bland diet consisting of unappetizing foods and clear fluids while undergoing testing and stabilization overnight – before being released later the next day.
Clinically speaking, there can be a big difference.
Hello Mespo,
A while back D.W. wrote that he’d had a heart attack and was forced to eat hospital food. I’m guessing it was the phood!
He has written many great and creative pieces on this blog.
Jill
Jill:
I was wondering what happened to our friend DW?
I really miss D.W. He’d be all over this!
This crowd operates on the Cheney Doctrine: do something about it.
mespo, I’d say it has already gotten just about as bad as it could get
-short of any number of proposed executions following any other number of questionable convictions.
Seton Hall University has done a great deal of work documenting who was actually held at Gitmo. Below links to their finding that detainee “interrogations” were routinely videotaped.
I believe GWB, DC and their trusty band of lawyers have committed war crimes and should be charged accordingly. All of these people ill-served our nation, the detainees and any low ranking grunt who was told to torture, or as Scalia would say, “pre-crime punish” these people.
I cannot find this reference yet, but I believe Dick and David were in the basement of the whitehouse discussing where to put detainees on the afternoon of 9/11. The decision to disregard our laws and treaties was deliberate and should be treated as such by bringing war crime charges.
http://law.shu.edu/administration/public_relations/press_releases/2008/guantanamo_interrogations_videotaped.htm
And we thought the auto de fe was ancient history. Can it get any worse? I think the Bushies are engaged in a cover up, not national security, and maybe USA should be replaced by CYA for this crowd. Bring on the hearings–habeas and congressional. I want to know just how low these neo-cons can go. By the looks of it, the bottom is the only limit.