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Guantanamo Bay
Front Page: Palin Says Letterman Joke About Statutory Rape
- Governor Sarah Palin ripped into Matt Lauer on the Today show, saying David Letterman's joke was "about the statutory rape of my 14-year-old daughter" and that Lauer was "extremely naive" if he believed otherwise. — Entertainment Weekly
- Record turnout is expected today for Iran's presidential elections, as three candidates try to oust President Ahmadinejad. — New York Times
- Obama gives up on bringing Gitmo detainees to US.
Director Goes Inside Gitmo and Shares Experience With Us, Part II
Last night National Geographic broadcasted the new documentary Explorer: Inside Guantanamo. I got a chance to interview the director Bonni Cohen, who spent three weeks inside the camp filming. In part one of the interview yesterday, she shared her thoughts on whether the detainees will make it to US soil, the professional nature of the camp, and how Guantanamo is different than a typical prison.
Director Goes Inside Gitmo and Shares Experience With Us
Since the beginning of the War on Terror the US prison at Guantanamo Bay has sat under a cloud of controversy and in the middle of legal limbo. Suspected terrorists and innocent alike have been kept in the wire-enclosed camp in Cuba, outside the reach of American courts. National Geographic captured the day-to-day life in the prison for the film Explorer: Inside Guantanamo which airs tonight at 9 p.m.
Front Page: Guantanamo Abuses May Be Worse Under Obama
- Abuse at Guantanamo Bay prison has worsened since Obama took office because guards want to "get their kicks in" before the camp closes, according to a lawyer representing detainees. — Reuters
- President Obama is set to unveil his $3 trillion budget to the public today. — ABC News
- General Motors reported a $9.6 billion loss for the fourth quarter.
Send Them to Rehab? Program Could Answer Gitmo Problem
Following President Obama's order to close Guantanamo Bay prison within a year, the US is looking for responsible ways to relocate prisoners. Since one suggested location — Alcatraz — won't do, US lawmakers might consider "jihad rehab."
CNN reports that a Saudi rehab program, which uses religious teachers to re-educate Islamic radicals, could solve the US's dilemma of closing the prison while also keeping Americans safe.
Congressman Suggests Home For Gitmo Prisoners: Alcatraz
Figuring out where to place prisoners now being held at Guantanamo Bay could be a legal nightmare when Gitmo closes; but the political obstacles could be even more tricky. Thanks to the high profile nature of the prisoners, as well as their characterizations (exaggerated or not) as the most dangerous people in the world, it will be hard to convince cities or towns to keep the prisoners within their limits.
One Republican, Florida Congressman Bill Young, came up with a creative location — Alcatraz!
Day Two: Obama Tackles Gitmo, Military Trials, & Interrogation
An executive order signed by Barack Obama today orders the closing of Guantanamo Bay within a year. The order, along with two others calling for the reviewing of military trials of terror suspects and the banning of harsh interrogation methods, mark a sharp break from Bush administration policies unpopular around the world and among many Americans.
After the signing, the president said: The message we are sending around the world is that the US intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism and we are going to do so vigilantly, we are going to do so effectively, and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals .
Pentagon: More Ex-Gitmo Inmates Returning to Terrorism
News broke yesterday that President-elect Obama plans on signing an order to close Guantanamo Bay perhaps as early as his first day on the job. Well today, the Pentagon cast a potential shadow on the plan, announcing that 61 ex-Gitmo prisoners have "returned to the fight." The Pentagon's spokesperson said: "The overall known terrorist re-engagement rate has increased to 11 percent" from 7 percent.
Front Page: 9/11 "Mastermind" to Plead Guilty Without Trial
- The alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and his four codefendants have asked to plead guilty to the attacks, meaning the current trial would never go ahead. The defendants told a military judge at Guantanamo Bay that they want to confess.
Barack Obama Plans to Close Guantanamo Bay
Behind the scenes, President-elect Obama is creating a plan to close Guantanamo Bay, and move numerous terrorist suspects to the United States. The detainees, currently in legal limbo, will most likely face trial in the US criminal justice system or be released.
A review of military tribunal files recently revealed that a good amount of the 255 detainees have significant terrorism credentials, such as connections to al Qaeda leaders, assassination experience, and training in the use of poison and disguises.
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