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NEWS ABOUT: Eric Holder

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Holder Mulls Political A-Bomb: Bush Torture Probe

(Newser) - Attorney General Eric Holder is "leaning toward" naming an independent prosecutor to probe Bush-era interrogation policies, even if it means war with the Obama administration, writes Daniel Klaidman in Newsweek. Such a probe would likely trigger partisan hostilities and threaten key Obama policies like health care and energy reform—... More »

Obama May Soon Face Decisions on Death Penalty

Cases might alter president's support for narrow use of executions

(Newser) - As if reviving the economy, reforming health care, taming North Korea, and forging relations with Iran weren’t challenges enough, President Obama may soon have to deal with the death penalty. Within months, the cases of six federal death-row inmates, all black and all convicted of capital murder, could land... More »

US Has Decided Fate of Half of Gitmo Prisoners

(Newser) - About a quarter of the 229 detainees at Guantanamo Bay will face trial, says Attorney General Eric Holder. Speaking to a Senate panel today, Holder said the US had decided the fate of about half the remaining prisoners, though he did not offer specifics, reports Reuters. President Obama plans to... More »

First Gitmo Detainee Arrives in US for Trial

Ahmed Ghailani to be tried for bombing US embassies

(AP) - The first Guantanamo Bay detainee has landed on US soil, landing in New York to face trial on charges of bombing US embassies, the Justice Department said today. Ahmed Ghailani arrived in the early morning, to be held in law enforcement custody until his trial in federal court in lower... More »

Feds Boost Abortion Clinic Security Amid Tiller Probe

FBI checks earlier vandalism incident

(Newser) - US Attorney General Eric Holder boosted security for abortion providers yesterday as the FBI investigated a vandalism incident at the clinic operated by slain doctor George Tiller, the Wichita Eagle reports. Tiller reported a threat last month, days after the Women’s Health Care Services clinic sustained thousands of dollars... More »

Obama Orders Review of Government Secrecy

President creates task force to overhaul declassification policy

(Newser) - President Obama has ordered a sweeping review of the government's secrecy policy, the Washington Post reports. Obama sent a memo to government officials reaffirming his administration's commitment "to operating with an unprecedented level of openness," and directed his national security adviser  to review how classified information is handled... More »

Torture Convictions Would Be a Long Shot

Prosecution possible, but nailing Cheney a legal headache

(Newser) - Those calling for Bush administration prosecutions on torture-related grounds may have their way—but whether those in question can actually be convicted is a whole other kettle of fish, Jeffrey Rosen writes in New York. Much of the case would likely hinge on whether authorities believed their own claims in... More »

Court Approves Ex-Inmates' Suit Against CIA

Torture allegations trump state secrets argument, panel rules

(Newser) - Five men who allege they were kidnapped and tortured on the orders of CIA agents may bring suit in federal court, an appeals panel ruled yesterday. Presidents Bush and Obama both contended that the case should be dismissed to protect classified evidence. But a federal appeals court panel ruled presidential... More »

Holder Visits Another Famous Torture Facility

On trip seeking help to close Gitmo, AG stops by Tower of London

(Newser) - Eric Holder arrived in London yesterday and paid a visit to a prison as notorious in its time as Guantanamo Bay, the AP reports. The attorney general listened quietly as his guide at the infamous Tower of London described scenes of torture—such as the interrogation of Guy Fawkes, who... More »

US 'Close' on Fate of Gitmo Prisoners

First group may be released to Va.

(Newser) - The US is close to deciding whether to free an initial group of Guantanamo detainees, AP reports. Attorney General Eric Holder didn't specify how long it would be before Gitmo closes, but said he must first determine how many prisoners will be released or tried. "We're doing these all... More »

Harman: Release Wiretap Transcripts

Calif. rep decries 'outrageous' 'abuse of power'

(Newser) - California Rep. Jane Harman demanded today that Justice Department release “unredacted” transcripts of telephone conversations recorded without her knowledge, Politico reports. Harman demanded the wiretapped conversations be released in response to media reports that she was recorded agreeing to try to help two pro-Israel lobbyists accused of spying in... More »

End Failed Drug War: Go After Kingpins

(Newser) - The "war on drugs" has been an abject failure—crowded jails and a still-thriving narcotics trade prove that—and it's time for some "visionary" thinking, writes Cynthia Tucker in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The nation's not ready for legalization, but how about some concrete steps: Stop going after "... More »

CIA Waterboarders Won't Be Prosecuted

(AP) - Seeking to move beyond what he calls a "a dark and painful chapter in our history," President Barack Obama said today that CIA officials who used harsh interrogation tactics during the Bush administration will not be prosecuted. Obama officials also released four secret memos detailing tactics against 28... More »

Legalize Pot? That's Nearly the Case Now in Calif.

(Newser) - Don’t look now, but marijuana is essentially legal in California, the Washington Post reports. Medical marijuana facilities litter the state, some offering only the flimsiest pretext of medical care. Stride into the Medical Kush Beach Club in Venice Beach, for example, and two scantily clad women will lead you... More »

Holder Changes Ethics Boss at Justice Dept.

Move comes one day after judge's criticism over Stevens case

(AP) - Attorney General Eric Holder says he's shifting some office heads at the Justice Department and putting a career Washington prosecutor in charge of the internal ethics unit. Mary Patrice Brown will lead the Office of Professional Responsibility, which drew criticism from a federal judge this week for the handling of... More »

Justice to Void Conviction of Ex-Sen. Ted Stevens

(Newser) - Attorney General Eric Holder intends to drop all charges against Ted Stevens, Justice Department officials tell NPR. Sentencing for Stevens, convicted of failing to disclose gifts from constituents, has been delayed for months as the judge berated the Justice Department for prosecutorial misconduct, including withholding evidence from the defense. Given... More »

NRA Wins a Round on Gun Control

Holder backs off on assault-rifle ban despite Mexico pleas

(Newser) - Attorney General Eric Holder has backed off calls to once again ban assault weapons after a strong blowback from the gun lobby, Newsweek reports. Mexico is pressuring the US to reinstate such a ban, since US assault rifles make up 90% of drug-cartel arsenals. But when Holder floated the idea... More »

US Halts Raids on Medical Marijuana Facilities

Holder signals major shift from Bush era's zero tolerance

(Newser) - Attorney general Eric Holder said yesterday that the Justice Department will no longer prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries that operate legally in California and 12 other states, reports the Los Angeles Times. While he and other Obama officials had hinted previously at the change, the AG's announcement was the most detailed... More »

US Drops Term 'Enemy Combatant'

(AP) - The Obama administration said today it is abandoning one of President Bush's key phrases in the war on terrorism: enemy combatant, the AP reports. The Justice Department said in legal filings that it will no longer use the term to justify holding prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. But that won't change... More »

White House Opens Up on Race

Obama's inner circle talks candidly about racial issues

(Newser) - In a break from the tone of the Obama campaign, members of the White House inner-circle are talking candidly about race. Eric Holder's "nation of cowards" remark caught the most attention, but Michelle Obama and  EPA chief Lisa Jackson—also the first African-American in her position—have moved the... More »

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