Spanish Judge to Investigate Torture at Gitmo

Lawyer: Baltasar Garzon charges 'witchhunt' for conservative targets

(NEWSER) - A crusading Spanish judge who used his country's universal jurisdiction laws to indict Augusto Pinochet in 1998 and Osama bin Laden in 2003, and who probed the US for abuses at Guantanamo Bay , now finds himself under investigation for an array of accusations, reports the AP . On Tuesday, Judge Baltasar Garzon goes on trial for ordering illegal wiretaps; a week later he faces charges for his investigation of Franco-era killings and forced disappearances, which prosecutors say overstepped his jurisdiction. In addition, he is under investigation for his relationship with a large Spanish bank. More»

Recent terror activity, GOP outrage may complicate closure

(NEWSER) - Strong talk from GOP leaders and former Bush officials, and the emergence of al-Qaeda links in Yemen have lawyers for Yemeni detainees at Gitmo pessimistic about releases that seemed certain just recently. “I feel like my two clients who left in mid-December have gotten the last train out,” says an attorney who represents many Yemeni nationals, the largest group still at the Cuban base. The development could complicate the Obama administration's attempts to close the facility. More»

Experts split on whether to use federal courts or military commissions

(NEWSER) - President Obama is edging closer to his goal of closing the Guantanamo Bay prison: Congress has approved detainee trials on US soil and the National Defense Authorization Act, passed yesterday, attempts to repair the damaged legality of President Bush’s military-commissions system. But hurdles remain, with legal scholars split on using the improved military-commissions system or federal courts for prosecutions. More»

Time for torturers to face the music, say celebs

(NEWSER) - A coalition of celebrity musicians is demanding the release of Bush administration documents revealing how music was used to torture Guantanamo Bay inmates. Songs from Metallica, The Real Slim Shady, and the Star Spangled Banner, among many others, were blasted all day for days on end to rattle prisoners, inmates have revealed. "The fact that music I helped create was used in crimes against humanity sickens me," said Tom Morello, formerly of Rage Against the Machine. "We need to end torture and close Guantanamo now." More»

(NEWSER) - Bush Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is on the same page as Eric Holder when it comes to investigating allegations of CIA torture. “As chief prosecutor of the United States, he should make the decision on his own, based on the facts,” he tells the Washington Times. Gonzales, who's taken much heat for his role in sanctioning harsh interrogations, says he and his lawyers "worked very hard to set up ground rules." If people went beyond them, "I think it is legitimate to question and examine that conduct." More»