Posted on 03/13/2009 12:43:57 PM PDT by Tucsonican
Department of Justice Withdraws “Enemy Combatant” Definition for Guantanamo Detainees In a filing today with the federal District Court for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice submitted a new standard for the government’s authority to hold detainees at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility. The definition does not rely on the President’s authority as Commander-in-Chief independent of Congress’s specific authorization. It draws on the international laws of war to inform the statutory authority conferred by Congress. It provides that individuals who supported al Qaeda or the Taliban are detainable only if the support was substantial. And it does not employ the phrase "enemy combatant."
The Department also submitted a declaration by Attorney General Eric Holder stating that, under executive orders issued by President Obama, the government is undertaking an interagency review of detention policy for individuals captured in armed conflicts or counterterrorism operations as well as a review of the status of each detainee held at Guantanamo. The outcome of those reviews may lead to further refinements of the government’s position as it develops a comprehensive policy.
"As we work towards developing a new policy to govern detainees, it is essential that we operate in a manner that strengthens our national security, is consistent with our values, and is governed by law," said Attorney General Holder. "The change we’ve made today meets each of those standards and will make our nation stronger."
In its filing today, the government bases its authority to hold detainees at Guantanamo on the Authorization for the Use of Military Force, which Congress passed in September 2001, and which authorized the use of force against nations, organizations, or persons the president determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the September 11 attacks, or harbored such organizations or persons. The government’s new standard relies on the international laws of war to inform the scope of the president’s authority under this statute, and makes clear that the government does not claim authority to hold persons based on insignificant or insubstantial support of al Qaeda or the Taliban.
The brief was filed in habeas litigation brought by numerous detainees at Guantanamo who are challenging their detention under the Supreme Court’s decision last summer in Boumediene v. Bush. A copy of the brief is attached.
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Carter’s 2nd term and we’ll be paying for it for decades, just like under Jimmy One.
That's their job.
The Left would be unemployed if they did it Right.
Why don’t Holder and Obama just get it over with and release them already? That’s what it looks like they’re eventually going to do anyway - why not save the money and time and just do it now instead of yanking our chains like they are?
The sooner these idiots lets them out then the quicker the turn around till they’re shooting at our troops again - and this time what do you want to be they won’t be ARRESTED, but otherwise unable to leave the battlefield? That’s the ONLY possible good I can see come from this. If anyone had ANY doubts as to whose side these idiots in Washington are on, they should be gone by now...
Pretty sure he’s evaded/avoided paying taxes for many years, so he’s a shoo in!!!
/sarc
Holder’s running the DOJ for the benefit of the people he vowed to lock up.
So no longer “enemy combatants,” the new definition that will be Politically Correct (in more ways than one) will now be “Friends of Obama!”
“//////////////////////////UNF**KINGBELIEVEABLE! obambi is the greatest gaytaliban man. obambi is such a puppet that he can’t see they are dangling his skinny butt over the BBQ. AND moslems are the ones who will start the fire to cook him”
Dear lord let this happen NOW before this illegal president harms our country beyond repair,
The Supreme Court gave Obama cover for this dangerous act. Goodness only knows what is going to change with this vile idiot in charge.
Holder’s law firm handled some of these terrorists cases in Gitmo. Holder also said there was no international definition of a terrorist when he wanted his clients case dismissed in court.
So now, he has permanently fixed anything else that might arise when he and Obama want them on our streets. They are probably the new state military police Michelle, Barack and Rahm want. They know weapons so no training needed.
Last paragraph all mine. No related links.
Obama's cousins!
Happy cuddly fun pals!
political/cultural correctness is the death of all great civilizations. we have learned nothing from our history.
Undocumented recalcitrants?
People who were warning that “The Dems will kill us all” were NOT exaggerating.
Their policies of appeasement, instead of war on terror WILL result in weakening our defenses seriously and eventually, or sooner,a major attacks on us by the terrorists.
Don't forget the money. We have to give them lots of money, so they might like us and we can feel better for making them angry.
Since we've become suicidally liberal (e.g. 2009).
Since Gitmo has been deemed to harsh for housing our enemy, he might well start putting Marines there for shooting them.
To the naive liberal, it’s all about the language. if it sounds better, that’s what’s importanat. The fact that it’s useless or doesn’t work is irrelevent. They are, for the most part, a little insane.
The enemy won on November 4th.
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