Interpreter Shortage Signals Gitmo Gridlock

Doctors didn't inquire, despite evidence of physical, mental abuse

(NEWSER) - The Defense Department doctors and psychologists who tended to Guantanamo Bay detainees were complicit in covering up their torture, according to a new study released yesterday. Medical records and legal files reveal that the doctors saw evidence of bone fractures, contusions, and lacerations; heard stories of rape; and saw signs of PTSD in previously mentally healthy individuals; but didn’t inquire about any of it, according to the AFP . One doctor even told a detainee “to relax when the guards are being more aggressive.” More»

(NEWSER) - The 17 Uighurs being held at Guantanamo issued a challenge to the Supreme Court today in petitioning for their release, the Miami Herald reports. "The historic role of the Judicial Branch is to demand the release of prisoners precisely when the political branches find release inconvenient," their petition reads. A district court judge ordered the men—Chinese Muslims deemed terrorists by their own country and apprehended in Afghanistan in 2001—released 8 months ago. More»

Come hell or Supreme Court, administration believes in controversial lock up

(NEWSER) - Despite his stated desire to the contrary, President Bush and his most hawkish aides are determined to keep prison facilities operating at Guantánamo Bay, reports the New York Times. Bush made up his mind following a Supreme Court ruling in the summer granting 250 detainees the right to challenge their incarceration, and never seriously considered State Department or Pentagon proposals to shut down prison operations, according to sources. More»

After 7 years, it's 'time to move cases forward'

(NEWSER) - A federal judge coordinating 200 Guantanamo Bay cases has ordered the Justice Department to set aside all other work to give the detainees their day in court as soon as possible. "The time has come to move these forward," he ruled. A Justice Department attorney asked for eight weeks to start turning over evidence so the government can "present its best case." More»

Administration's 'enemy combatant' designation invalidated

(NEWSER) - In a rebuke of the Pentagon's Guantanamo policy, a federal appeals court has ruled that a prisoner was improperly designated an "enemy combatant," the New York Times reports. The ruling—issued Friday and announced today but not released in full because parts of it are classified—ordered that the prisoner have a new military hearing or be transferred or released. More»