Marines Allowed To Smoke In Afghanistan

Pentagon will not impose smoking ban.

Congress Limits The President’s Ability To Close Guantanamo Bay

First, the title of this post is a bit misleading.  President Obama never made a promise to close Guantanamo Bay (GTMO).  He only ordered that the detention facility, holding those captured in the GWOT be closed by January 2010.  That being said, the recent bill signed into law by the president, H.R. 2346: Supplemental Appropriations [...]

Supreme Court Will Not Take Action On Uighur Case Until Next Term

The Supreme Court will not hear Kiyemba, et al. v. Obama, et al. until next term, October at the earliest.
Because the Court took no formal action on Kiyemba Monday, there was no explanation.  It is possible to speculate on the reasons.
Among them could be that the Court did not want to be seen to be [...]

Osprey Gets Gun Turret

From Aviation Week,
The U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 squadron preparing to deploy to Afghanistan in the third or fourth quarter of this year is now flight testing a turreted gun to beef-up the aircraft’s fire-power.
The Bell/Boeing MV-22 unit is likely to be deployed to Camp Bastion in the Helmand region as part of the U.S.’s [...]

Uighurs To Bermuda

From Reuters,
Four Chinese detainees from Guantanamo Bay arrived in Bermuda on Thursday after being freed by U.S. authorities in the Obama administration’s latest move to close the controversial prison camp for terror suspects.
Their release took place the same day China repeated its demand for repatriation of all 17 members of the Uighur ethnic group held [...]

Uighurs Back To Supreme Court

The case of Jamal Kiyemba v. Obama, was decided on 7 April 2009 by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.  The court held that no court had the power to order the Uighurs to be released to live in the United States. 
The case will be heard by [...]

Increased Legal Rights For Detainees May Lead To More Targeted Killings In Afghanistan

One of the consequences of the increased legal rights granted to detainees at Guantanamo Bay may be an increase in targeted killings in Afghanistan using Predator drones.

Guantanamo Bay: Majority Of American Oppose Closing Terrorist Detention Center

In a recent poll Americans say Guantanamo Bay should not be closed by a 2-1 margin.

Satellite Photos Of Pakistani Nuclear Weapons Complex

Satellite photos of nuclear weapons facility in Pakistan.

President Obama On Guantanamo Detainees And Military Commissions

President Obama gives speech outlining the way forward on Guantanamo Bay and military commissions.

Boumediene Released To France

Lakhdar Boumediene, of Boumediene v. Bush, has been rendered to France,
Lakhdar Boumediene, is on his way to France today, where he’ll face terrorism charges. Boumediene stood accused of planning to attack the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo; a U.S. judge ordered him released last year due to a lack of evidence.  In Boumediene, the Court invalidated [...]

Army Captain Pleads Guilty To Stealing Military Equipment In Iraq

From the Eastern District of Virginia,
Elbert Westley George III, 36, a U.S. Army captain who was stationed in Iraq, pleaded guilty today to participating in a scheme to steal U.S. government equipment and sell it to a local Iraqi businessman, announced Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer and Acting U.S. Attorney [...]

Drones Are The Only Game In Town For Combating Al Qaeda

According to CIA Director Leon Panetta drones are,
the only game in town in terms of confronting or trying to disrupt the al Qaeda leadership,” Panetta told the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles.
Pakistan has complained repeatedly about what it says are airstrikes on its territory by U.S.-operated drones. The U.S. military in neighboring [...]

Guantanamo Bay May Close But Those Held There May Not Come To The United States, So Says The Senate

President Obama will announce the continued use of military commissions for detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. But the Senate will not approve any funding that would transfer any of the detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the United States.

President Obama Will Continue To Use Military Commissions For Detainees Held At Guantanamo Bay

President Obama to announce that he will continue to use military commissions to try detainees held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Obama Administration Looks To Continue The Use Of Military Commissions For Guantanamo Detainees

Lawyers for the Obama administration are becoming more receptive to the use of military commissions for the prosecution of detainees held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Waterboarding Of Abu Zubaydah And Khalid Shaikh Mohammed

CIA torture memo reveals that Abu Zubaydah was waterboarded 83 times and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times.

Haditha Update: Wuterich’s Lawsuit Against Murtha Dismissed By Appellate Court

Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich’s lawsuit against Congressman John Murtha, regarding statements the congressman made about the deaths of civilians in Haditha, Iraq, has been dismissed.

Pakistan Wants Control Of U.S. Drones

With the number of drone strikes continuing in Pakistan,
Pakistan has made it clear both publicly and privately to the Untied States government that we are willing to take out high value terrorist targets on our own, and we welcome the technology and intelligence assistance that will give us the ability to succeed.  President Obama [...]

Blackwater Air To Asked To Leave Iraq

Blackwater to leave Iraq.

Detainees In Afghanistan May Challenge Detention Via Habeas Corpus

The District Court for the District of Columbia has ruled that detainees at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan may contest their designation as “enemy combatants” in Federal Court.  Here is a copy of the opinion.
It is unclear if this ruling will apply to the more than 600 detainees held at Bagram. 
yojoe out
H/T: scotusblog