Today marks the fifteenth anniversary of the opening of the prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It is an anniversary I had hoped would never happen. Most people thought Guantanamo would close after President Obama announced on his second day… Continue Reading
Within the past month, we have seen the Islamic State, also known as ISIS and ISIL, claim responsibility for blowing up a Soviet airliner in Egypt; killing 40+ people in Lebanon; and triggering the deadly attacks and killings in Paris,… Continue Reading
People have known for years that the Bush administration chose the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 2001 because it was not on American territory. American officials believed, based on a WWII Supreme Court decision, that detainees held offshore… Continue Reading
Most Americans pay scant attention to Guantanamo. In fact, many Americans believe it is closed or only houses convicted terrorists. However, Guantanamo is still open, holding 122 men, 55 of whom have been cleared for release. As little as Americans… Continue Reading
January 11 is the 13th anniversary of the opening of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Nearly six years have passed since President Obama announced on his second day in office that he would shutter the detention center within… Continue Reading
For over a dozen years, since the attacks on 9/11, a new and pernicious term has permeated the war lexicon and the mainstream: enemy combatant. Although originally intended as the United States’ designation for al Qaeda and Taliban captives, it is… Continue Reading
Recently, a local high school girl I will call Lisa interviewed me for a report she was doing on torture. I am the founder and director of the Witness to Guantanamo project, where we film in-depth interviews of former detainees,… Continue Reading
American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) asked me to write a piece on Guantanamo for the 12th anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. I am the founder and director… Continue Reading
President Obama said at his news conference yesterday, “I continue to believe that we’ve got to close Guantanamo.” He then added, “Congress determined that they would not let us close it.” Unfortunately, the president’s comments are misleading. Congress may have… Continue Reading
Over the past several weeks, the media has covered hunger strikes in Guantanamo. The coverage suggests that the military has interfered with the detainees’ Korans, causing the detainees to respond with hunger strikes. As of March 26, it is unclear how many… Continue Reading
