Trump inherits Guantanamo Bay prison — and 4 ‘forever prisoners’
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Trump inherits Guantanamo Bay prison — and 4 ‘forever prisoners’

Raw Story  

President Joe Biden’s record of handling the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, is decidedly mixed. He succeeded in reducing the detainee population he inherited by more than half, but he compounded problems in the military commissions that the Bush administration had invented in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to try people captured in the “war on terror.” Now all the problems at Guantánamo are again President Donald Trump’s. Biden left Trump four people the U.S. will not release but also cannot put on trial – the so-called “ forever prisoners.” He also left intact the troubled military commissions system, with three pending criminal cases against a total of six detainees. A chance to make progress There are three cases that have not yet gone to trial – the 9/11 case with four defendants facing charges for their connections with the attacks, the USS Cole bombing in October 2000 with one defendant and the Bali bombing in October 2002 with one defendant. But the Guantánamo prison remains open, and as long as it is, the “war on terror,” which first put U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2001, is not over.

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History of this topic

Gitmo forever: Donald Trump eagerly inherits America's nightmare prison
1 month, 1 week ago

Gitmo forever: Donald Trump eagerly inherits America's nightmare prison

Salon  

On Jan. 10, one day before the 23rd anniversary of its opening, a much-anticipated hearing was set to take place at the Guantánamo Bay Detention Facility on the island of Cuba. Gen. Susan Escallier, the Pentagon official in charge of the military commissions at Guantánamo Bay, Austin summarily overruled her, revoking the plea deal with little explanation and leaving experts …

Biden's Guantánamo legacy 'one step forward, several steps backwards'
2 months ago

Biden's Guantánamo legacy 'one step forward, several steps backwards'

NPR  

Biden's Guantánamo legacy 'one step forward, several steps backwards' toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Like Barack Obama before him, Joe Biden vowed to try to shut down the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. When Biden first came into office, "there was a sense of aggressive movement" on working to shutter the prison and resolve its remaining legal cases, …

Biden speaks with relatives of Americans held by Taliban, but deal to bring them home still elusive
2 months ago

Biden speaks with relatives of Americans held by Taliban, but deal to bring them home still elusive

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with relatives of three Americans the U.S. government is looking to bring home from Afghanistan, but no agreement has been reached on a deal to get them back, family members said. Biden’s call with family members of Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi took place in the waning days of his administration …

US releases Guantanamo Bay prisoner held since day 1
Trending News
2 months, 2 weeks ago

US releases Guantanamo Bay prisoner held since day 1

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A prisoner who has …

Pentagon repatriates Guantánamo detainee held without charge for over two decades
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Pentagon repatriates Guantánamo detainee held without charge for over two decades

Raw Story  

The Biden administration announced late Monday that it transferred a Tunisian man who was never charged with a crime out of the notorious Guantánamo Bay military prison in Cuba, a move that came more than a decade after the detainee was approved for release. Al-Yazidi was the fourth Guantánamo detainee in two weeks to be transferred from the prison by …

US repatriates 3 Guantanamo Bay detainees, including one held 17 years without charge
2 months, 3 weeks ago

US repatriates 3 Guantanamo Bay detainees, including one held 17 years without charge

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The U.S. has transferred two Malaysian detainees at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. military prison to their home country, after they pleaded guilty to charges related to deadly 2002 bombings in Bali and agreed to testify against the alleged ringleader of that and other attacks, the Pentagon said Wednesday. The transfers, and the repatriation Tuesday of a Kenyan man …

CIA abuse rendered 9/11 defendant unfit for trial: US military judge
1 year, 5 months ago

CIA abuse rendered 9/11 defendant unfit for trial: US military judge

Al Jazeera  

Incompetency finding for Ramzi bin al-Shibh means the prosecution of his four co-defendants would continue without him. The judge, Colonel Matthew McCall, said the incompetency finding for Ramzi bin al-Shibh meant that the prosecution of his four co-defendants would continue without him. Brett Eagleson, whose father Bruce Eagleson was killed when one of the hijacked planes destroyed the south tower …

Guantanamo Bay prisoners show signs of ‘accelerated ageing’: ICRC
1 year, 10 months ago

Guantanamo Bay prisoners show signs of ‘accelerated ageing’: ICRC

Al Jazeera  

The Guantanamo prison camp has come to symbolise the brutality of the US’s so-called ‘war on terror’. Prisoners who have been held for years by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility are showing signs of “accelerated ageing”, a senior official of the International Committee of the Red Cross has said. Patrick Hamilton, the ICRC’s head of delegation …

Joe Biden frees another 'al-Qaeda associate' from '9/11 jail' Guantanamo Bay:
1 year, 10 months ago

Joe Biden frees another 'al-Qaeda associate' from '9/11 jail' Guantanamo Bay:

Daily Mail  

Joe Biden has freed another suspected terrorist from Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. naval base in Cuba used to jail those believed to pose a major security risk to Americans. Said bin Brahim bin Umran Bakush was captured in a raid on an al-Qaeda hideout in Pakistan in 2002 in the post 9/11 war on terror. The facility has been repeatedly …

Former Guantanamo detainee Saifullah Paracha repatriated to Pakistan
2 years, 4 months ago

Former Guantanamo detainee Saifullah Paracha repatriated to Pakistan

CNN  

CNN — Saifullah Paracha, a former detainee at the Guatanamo Bay detention facility, has been repatriated to Pakistan, according to a statement from the Department of Defense. The Defense Department statement said that “the United States appreciates the willingness of Pakistan and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the …

Biden administration quietly steps up effort to close Guantanamo
2 years, 5 months ago

Biden administration quietly steps up effort to close Guantanamo

Live Mint  

WASHINGTON : The Biden administration is revamping its effort to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, for the first time appointing a senior diplomat to oversee detainee transfers and signaling it won’t interfere with plea negotiations that could resolve the long-stalled prosecution of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four co-defendants. Congress responded to the Obama administration’s effort to close …

Biden Administration Ramping up Efforts to Close Guantanamo Bay Prison: Report
2 years, 5 months ago

Biden Administration Ramping up Efforts to Close Guantanamo Bay Prison: Report

News 18  

The Biden administration is taking steps to close US’ Guantanamo Bay prison, the Wall Street Journal said in a report. The administration may not interfere with plea negotiations that could resolve the long-stalled prosecution of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four co-defendants, the WSJ said in the report. However, the decision to close down the detention facility could …

‘20th Hijacker’ of 9/11 transferred from Guantanamo to psychiatric facility in Saudi Arabia
3 years ago

‘20th Hijacker’ of 9/11 transferred from Guantanamo to psychiatric facility in Saudi Arabia

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Guantanamo Bay detainee …

EXPLAINER: Why half of Guantanamo’s prisoners could get out
3 years ago

EXPLAINER: Why half of Guantanamo’s prisoners could get out

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has been quietly laying the groundwork to release prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention center and at least move closer to being able to shut it down. Decisions about several of these prisoners, including some denied under previous reviews, have come in recent weeks as the administration faced criticism from human rights groups for not …

Biden's low profile on Guantanamo rankles as prison turns 20
3 years, 2 months ago

Biden's low profile on Guantanamo rankles as prison turns 20

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. That has led to increased skepticism about Biden’s approach as the administration completes its …

Timeline: 20 years of Guantanamo Bay prison
3 years, 2 months ago

Timeline: 20 years of Guantanamo Bay prison

Al Jazeera  

US President Joe Biden says he wants to close the controversial facility in Cuba, but expansion plans are in the works. January 11 marks 20 years since the opening of Guantanamo Bay, the infamous US prison located in Cuba that critics say allows detainees to be held indefinitely outside of normal laws or judicial oversight. June 12, 2008: The United …

Biden’s low profile on Guantanamo rankles as prison turns 20
3 years, 2 months ago

Biden’s low profile on Guantanamo rankles as prison turns 20

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Advocates for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center were optimistic when President Joe Biden took office. That has led to increased skepticism about Biden’s approach as the administration completes its first year and the detention center reaches a milestone Tuesday — the 20th anniversary of the first prisoners’ arrival. “President Biden has stated his intention to close Guantanamo …

Guantanamo prison lingers, an unresolved legacy of 9/11
3 years, 6 months ago

Guantanamo prison lingers, an unresolved legacy of 9/11

Associated Press  

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — President Joe Biden turned the page on one legacy of 9/11 by ending the war in Afghanistan. “The fact that Biden, at least, is saying the right things has given people hope,” said Clive Stafford Smith, a lawyer who was recently making his 40th trip to Guantanamo Bay, seeing prisoners he hadn’t been able …

Guantanamo prison lingers, an unresolved legacy of 9/11
3 years, 6 months ago

Guantanamo prison lingers, an unresolved legacy of 9/11

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “The fact that Biden, at least, is saying the …

Trial for '9/11 mastermind' Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspects is set to resume TODAY
3 years, 6 months ago

Trial for '9/11 mastermind' Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspects is set to resume TODAY

Daily Mail  

The trial of the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other alleged co-conspirators has resumed at Guantanamo Bay, just days before the 20th anniversary of America's darkest day. Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, Ramzi Bin al-Shibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi smiled and chatted to each other …

Guantanamo Bay: Inside the world’s most notorious detention centre as the war on terror fades away
3 years, 7 months ago

Guantanamo Bay: Inside the world’s most notorious detention centre as the war on terror fades away

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Camp Justice on Guantánamo …

In step to shut Guantanamo, Biden transfers Moroccan home
3 years, 7 months ago

In step to shut Guantanamo, Biden transfers Moroccan home

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration took a step toward its goal of shutting down the Guantánamo Bay detention center for terror suspects Monday, releasing into the custody of his home country a Moroccan who’d been held without charge almost since the U.S. opened the facility 19 years ago. Nasser’s attorney in Morocco, Khalil Idrissi, said the years Nasser spent in …

Biden admin approves three Guantanamo Bay inmates for release
3 years, 9 months ago

Biden admin approves three Guantanamo Bay inmates for release

Daily Mail  

President Joe Biden's administration plans to release three Guantanamo Bay inmates who have been held for nearly 20 years without being charged. The prison's oldest inmate, 73-year-old Saifullah Paracha of Pakistan, was cleared by the prisoner review board along with two other men, said Paracha's lawyer Shelby Sullivan-Bennis, who represented him at his hearing in November. A lawyer for the …

US Supreme Court to hear Palestinian Guantanamo prisoner’s case
3 years, 10 months ago

US Supreme Court to hear Palestinian Guantanamo prisoner’s case

Al Jazeera  

Abu Zubaydah wants to question two former CIA contractors who allegedly tortured him in Poland. Zubaydah and his lawyer want to question two former CIA contractors, James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, about the operation of a secret CIA facility in Poland where they say Zubaydah was held and tortured. A Supreme Court document details how Zubaydah was held in various …

White House weighs shutdown of Guantanamo prison
4 years, 1 month ago

White House weighs shutdown of Guantanamo prison

Al Jazeera  

The offshore jail symbolises the excesses of the US ‘war on terror’ because of harsh interrogation methods and torture. The Biden administration has launched a formal review of the future of the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, reviving the Obama-era goal of closing the notorious facility, a White House official said on Friday. Aides involved in internal …

Guantanamo: Biden administration says it intends to close prison
4 years, 1 month ago

Guantanamo: Biden administration says it intends to close prison

CNN  

CNN — The Biden administration intends to close the Guantánamo Bay detention facility, which houses approximately 40 prisoners, by the end of their term. When asked by a reporter during a press briefing on Friday if the prison would be closed by the time President Joe Biden leaves office, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, “That’s certainly our goal …

US military announces trial for trio detained at Guantanamo Bay suspected of Indonesia terror attacks
4 years, 1 month ago

US military announces trial for trio detained at Guantanamo Bay suspected of Indonesia terror attacks

ABC  

After an unexplained delay, the US Department of Defense has announced plans to move ahead with a military trial for three men held at a base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who are suspected of involvement in deadly bombings in Indonesia in 2002 and 2003. Key points: Charges have been brought against alleged Bali bombing mastermind Hambali and two Malaysian men …

Will Joe Biden close Guantanamo Bay?
4 years, 2 months ago

Will Joe Biden close Guantanamo Bay?

Al Jazeera  

US president-elect once promised to shut down the camp and now he is under pressure to deliver. It has been 19 years since the United States opened the military detention centre at Guantanamo Bay. Amnesty International is now urging President-elect Joe Biden to fulfil a promise he made 10 years ago to close it down. Amnesty’s 62-page report says the …

Biden’s win means some Guantanamo prisoners may be released
4 years, 3 months ago

Biden’s win means some Guantanamo prisoners may be released

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The oldest prisoner at the Guantanamo Bay detention center went to his latest review board hearing with a degree of hope, something that has been scarce during his 16 years locked up without charges at the U.S. base in Cuba. President Donald Trump had effectively ended the Obama administration’s practice of reviewing the cases of men held at …

Obama v Trump on Guantanamo and torture
8 years, 3 months ago

Obama v Trump on Guantanamo and torture

Al Jazeera  

Andy Worthington is a freelance investigative journalist. With a month to go before the end of the Obama presidency, it is troubling that Guantanamo remains open - but although we must worry what Trump has planned, it must also be acknowledged that Obama should have closed the prison as he promised by That November, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that …

Obama v Trump on Guantanamo and torture
8 years, 3 months ago

Obama v Trump on Guantanamo and torture

Al Jazeera  

Andy Worthington is a freelance investigative journalist. With a month to go before the end of the Obama presidency, it is troubling that Guantanamo remains open - but although we must worry what Trump has planned, it must also be acknowledged that Obama should have closed the prison as he promised by That November, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that …

Two more militants released from Guantanamo Bay return to conflict
8 years, 6 months ago

Two more militants released from Guantanamo Bay return to conflict

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Two former inmates at …

Guantanamo’s ‘forever’ prisoners and a broken promise
9 years, 5 months ago

Guantanamo’s ‘forever’ prisoners and a broken promise

Al Jazeera  

Release of Saudi man after nearly 14 years in US naval prison highlights the plight of 114 other detainees left behind. “I mean we are talking about a country with established security services, established value system.” Inspiring ‘terror’ Aamer’s continued imprisonment – along with other prisoners – is of concern to both analysts. “Certainly Guantanamo and other examples of detention …

Pentagon is on the hunt in U.S. for Guantanamo replacement
9 years, 6 months ago

Pentagon is on the hunt in U.S. for Guantanamo replacement

LA Times  

The Pentagon is sending evaluation teams to assess several military and federal prisons as possible replacements for the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but Congress appears determined to prevent President Obama from closing the controversial facility for suspected terrorists before he leaves office. NEWSLETTER: Get the day’s top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >> Pentagon officials said the …

Guantanamo forever
10 years, 11 months ago

Guantanamo forever

Al Jazeera  

Andy Worthington is a freelance investigative journalist. Almost half the remaining detainees – 75 of the remaining 154 men – were led to believe that they would be heading home soon when, in January 2010, the high-level, inter-agency Guantanamo Review Task Force, appointed by President Barack Obama shortly after he took office the year before, approved them for release. Al-Rahabi …

Obama Orders Guantanamo Bay Prison Closure
16 years, 1 month ago

Obama Orders Guantanamo Bay Prison Closure

NPR  

Obama Orders Guantanamo Bay Prison Closure On Day 2 of his presidency, Barack Obama continued to unravel the tapestry of policies woven by former President George W. Bush over the past eight years. Tackling initiatives that can be reversed with the stroke of a presidential pen, Obama turned his attention Thursday to national security matters, signing executive orders designed to …

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