Heritage Foundation
Senior Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation and Manager of its National Security Law Program; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs (2006-2007), he left after controversy over his remarks about law firms defending Guantánamo inmates
Holding Kids Accountable for Their Crimes Juvenile Justice was established almost 100 years ago, but the War on Crime eroded protections for young Americans accused of crime. Today, almost 10,000 children are being held in adult jails and prisons. Most have not been convicted of serious or violent offenses. But they're often denied rehabilitation services, education and opportunities for employment — and they're vulnerable to sexual abuse and suicide. This week, a few got relief from the President and the US Supreme Court .
Guantánamo, the Constitution and Presidential Politics In 2008, candidate Barack Obama accused George W. Bush of abusing the power of the presidency to establish the prison at Guantánamo Bay. Now President Obama's accused of doing the same thing -- to close Guantánamo down. It's all about the authority of the Commander in Chief. But, Congress says the remaining inmates are too dangerous to be held in American prisons and has made the transfer illegal. The White House says executive action is "not off the table," which could light a political firestorm in time for next year's presidential campaign.
Guantánamo Bay: The Unmet Promise Since 2002, the "detention center" at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba has held almost 800 prisoners. When he got to the White House in 2009, President Obama said closing Guantánamo was his first order of business. Last week, five men of Yemeni descent were released, but 122 inmates are still there. The prison population is down to 122 -- with President Obama still trying to shut it down. John McCain -- the former POW -- once advocated closing the prison, but now he's joined other Republican Senators to oppose more releases any time soon. Meantime, a book by an inmate has generated claims that Guantánamo was a "laboratory for torture" of people held without charges. Will the President's first order of business be accomplished before he leaves office?
Coming Soon: A Terror Trial in a New York Courtroom Suleiman abu Ghaith is Osama bin Laden's son-in-law. A spokesman for al Qaeda in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, he threatened Americans with more attacks on airliners and high rise buildings. After disappearing for ten years, in February he was seized by US operatives in Jordan. On Friday he turned up in a courtroom in Manhattan, to plead not guilty to charges of conspiracy to kill Americans. Who is abu Ghaith? Where has he been for the last decade? What does he know about possible terrorist plots? Should he be tried in a US court in New York or transferred to Guantanamo for a military tribunal?
Coming Soon: A Terror Trial in a New York Courtroom Suleiman abu Ghaith is Osama bin Laden's son-in-law. A spokesman for al Qaeda in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, he threatened Americans with more attacks on airliners and high rise buildings. After disappearing for ten years, in February he was seized by US operatives in Jordan. On Friday he turned up in a courtroom in Manhattan, to plead not guilty to charges of conspiracy to kill Americans. Who is abu Ghaith? Where has he been for the last decade? What does he know about possible terrorist plots? Should he be tried in a US court in New York or transferred to Guantanamo for a military tribunal?
Should Prisoners at Guantanamo Bay Be Sent Home to Yemen? Late today, President Obama said he still plans to close Guantánamo Bay , where half the 198 remaining prisoners are from Yemen. But, since Yemen is now tied to the failed airline-bombing attempt on Christmas Day, he won’t send more any Yeminis home. So, where will they go?
Should Prisoners at Guantanamo Bay Be Sent Home to Yemen? At least one Yemeni detainee sent home from Guantánamo Bay by the Bush Administration reportedly joined al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The Obama Administration has deemed Guantánamo such an important terrorist recruiting tool that it calls shutting it " a national security imperative ." But what to do with 198 prisoners still there, about half of whom are from Yemen, where the Christmas Day bombing attempt reportedly began? If they're sent home, will they start plotting against the US? What about "re-education?" Does it work in Saudi Arabia? Could it work in Yemen? We hear about the history of repatriating detainees and what a growing controversy could mean for closing Guantánamo Bay.
Judge Michael Mukasey and the Department of Justice Yesterday, former Federal Judge Michael Mukasey promised to resist White House political meddling, to restore the integrity of the Justice Department and to balance the requirements of national security with Constitutional liberties. His chances of being confirmed to replace Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General were looking good. But today, some Democrats said they were "very disappointed" by his failure to clearly answer the question , "is waterboarding torture?" Approval of harsh means of interrogation got Gonzales in trouble with civil libertarians of both political parties. Others insist Mukasey should be required to appoint a special prosecutor to clean up the political taint left by Gonzales. We hear different opinions about Mukasey's record, the legal challenges he faces and morale at the Department of Justice .
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?