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11/20/2008 7:34 PM - Views: 4 Rating: -A US judge today ruled that five Algerian prisoners held in Guantánamo Bay must be set free in a decision that has far reaching implications for the remaining detainees at the base in Cuba.District court judge Richard Leon ruled in a Washington DC court that there was no legal basis to keep the five in prison, and ordered the US government to release them.It is the first verdict in more than 200 habeas corpus petitions being brought before the US courts. The petitions challenge the US government to prove that there is evidence justifying keeping the men in Guantánamo Bay."The decision by Judge Leon lays bare the flimsy basis on which Guantánamo has been founded – at best, slim evidence of dubious quality, at worst, nothing," said Zachary Katznelson, legal director of Reprieve, the British legal action charity whose lawyers represent 33 Guantánamo Bay prisoners. "This is a tough, no-nonsense judge. If he found there wasn't evidence to justify holding the men, you can be sure it wasn't there." The judge, known for his conservative views, said the US government should not appeal against his ruling.It is the latest setback for President George Bush's policy and will add further weight to president-elect Barack Obama's pledge to close down the prison camp as soon as he takes office. Obama has described Guantánamo Bay as "a sad chapter in American history which has been done much to besmirch the reputation of the United States around the world".He and his team are currently considering different options about what to do with the detainees and what legal process they should subject to. One possibility is the setting up of "security courts" but the new administration is well aware it faces major diplomatic, political, and legal problems.The latest hearing involved six Algerian nationals, five of who are also Bosnian citizens and who were originally accused of plotting to blow up the American embassy in Bosnia. The men had already been acquitted on these charges in Bosnia but were seized by the US and rendered to Guantánamo Bay when they were released."It is an illustration of the catastrophic policies of the Bush administration – ignoring the legitimate ruling of the court of an ally, rendering these men away from their homes and families, and holding them without legal recourse in Guantánamo Bay for six years," said Clive Stafford Smith, director of Reprieve.He added: "There are plenty more cases of injustice ahead of us, including the plight of the British residents who remain in this terrible place."The ruling by judge Leon is the first decision since the US Supreme Court ruled in June 2008 that every prisoner in Guantánamo has the right to contest his imprisonment in the civilian courts. Leon's ruling follows the first hearings under a landmark Supreme Court ruling in June that gave Guantánamo detainees the legal right to challenge their continued confinement.Reading his ruling as the detainees listened in Guantánamo via a telephone hook-up, Leon said the US government failed to show the five detainees who had been living in Bosnia had planned to travel to Afghanistan to fight against US forces. Ordering the release of the five men, Leon said the allegation was based on a single source, and he did not have enough information to judge the source's reliability or credibility. He ordered the US government to take all necessary and diplomatic steps to facilitate their release "forthwith." Lawyers acting for Binyam Mohamed, a British resident behind held at Guantánamo Bay, are demanding his release and argue US documents, some of which has been seen by the British government, should be disclosed as they will reveal that he had been tortured.Guantánamo BayAlgeriaObama White HouseUnited StatesGeorge Bushguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Arts
NYT > Arts
11/19/2008 5:28 AM - Views: 4 Rating: -Dan Fogler, start working out your vocal cords: the burly actor, below, who was a Tony winner for “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” has been cast as the burly comedian Sam Kinison in a biographical film for HBO, Variety reported. The film, “Brother Sam,” will tell the story of Kinison, the one-time Pentecostal preacher turned standup performer, who died in a car accident in 1992 at 38. It is adapted from the memoir of the same name, written by the comedian’s brother and manager, Bill Kinison, and Steve Delsohn, and will be directed by Tom Shadyac (“The Nutty Professor,” “Bruce Almighty”). A script has been written by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, the writers and directors of the film “American Splendor,” about the comic-book writer Harvey Pekar.
Business
Google News - Business
11/20/2008 6:39 AM - Views: 4 Rating: -Air France-KLM Second-Quarter Net Falls 49% Percent on Fu