Human rights group seeks interrogation tapes of Guantanamo detainee

The Center for Constitutional Rights wants the responsible government agencies to release the interrogation tapes of accused 9/11 hijacker, the only detainee at Guantanamo the government admits to torturing. Charges that the man plotted to join the 9/11 attacks were dropped by the government in 2008 “without prejudice.” -db From the Courthouse News Service, January [...]

Harvard study shows media toadies to government

A study of the way the American media discusses waterboarding revealed that when the government insisted that the practice was not torture, the media fell into line, avoiding applying the word “torture” in reference to the practice. -db Salon Commentary June 30, 2010 By Glenn Greenwald A newly released study from students at Harvard’s John F. [...]

Senate rejects proposal for commission of inquiry on torture

Senator Patrick Leahy was unable to obtain the bipartisan consensus he said was essential to conduct a senate investigation of Bush administration conduct on terrorism including detention, rendition and interrogation. -DB Secrecy News Federation of American Scientists Commentary January 26, 2010 By Steven Aftergood Last year the Senate Judiciary Committee considered a proposal by Senator [...]

Government lawyer argues torture suit too sensitive for public court

Citing national security and state secrets, a Justice Department lawyer argued that the suit involving the CIA and a San Jose company over extraordinary rendition and torture of suspected terrorists cannot proceed in open court. -DB San Francisco Chronicle December 16, 2009 By Bob Egelko SAN FRANCISCO — A lawsuit accusing a Bay Area flight-planning [...]

CIA torture tapes destroyed earlier than claimed

The ACLU Freedom of Information lawsuit surfaced evidence CIA torture tapes were destroyed immediately after the Washington Post reported the existence of the CIA black sites and the New York Times reported that the CIA Inspector General had questioned the legality of the agency’s torture program. ACLU Security/Torture November 24, 2009 Documents Reveal Date Tapes [...]

Federal judge rules some records of Guantanamo interrogations may be kept secret

A federal judge agreed with the government that the C.I.A. was within the law in classifying parts of Guantanamo detainee statements. The government had maintained that no violations of laws were being concealed and that the exemption to the Freedom of Information Act was necessary to protect intelligence sources and methods. -DB Breaking News 24/7 [...]

Federal judge rules CIA cannot be forced to release documents related to destruction of 9/11 interrogation videotapes

The Associated Press September 30, 2009 By Larry Neumeister Agreeing with CIA Diretor Leon Panetta, a federal judge said that national security concerns override other issues in upholding the CIA’s right to keep secret their methods of getting information from uncooperative detainees. The American Civil liberties Union is seeking the documents related to interrogations of [...]

Obama’s new policy on state secrets disappoints EFF attorney

An attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation argues that the Obama administration did not go far enough in reforming the use of the state secrets privilege. The changes will run a decision through executive layers but still allow the government to invoke the privilege to block a court case without judicial oversight. -DB Electronic Frontier Foundation [...]