Military Commissions
144 Articles

In al Nashiri, Judge Pohl orders disclosure of details of CIA’s “black sites” to the defense
To say it has been an eventful week for the military commissions in Guantanamo might be an understatement. As Ruchi has covered each morning this week in the Early Edition, the…

Military Courts and Article III
For some time, I’ve been working on the larger implications of the jurisprudence arising from the Guantánamo military commissions and the Court of Appeals for the Armed…

The Abu Ghaith Trial: How U.S. terrorism prosecutions are supposed to happen
Today’s conviction on all counts in the trial of Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law is the best response yet to critics like Senators Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham who claim…

Conspiracy – A Quick Historical Survey
As the trial of Mr. Sulaiman Abu Gaith, the son-in-law of Osama bin Laden continues in New York in the United States District Court, we take this opportunity to provide a brief…

Crime, Sentencing and the War on Terror: Further Thoughts on the Al Darbi Plea
Last month, Ahmed Muhammed Haza al Darbi became the sixth Guantanamo detainee to plead guilty to war crimes before a military commission. The U.S. has accused al Darbi of various…

Al Darbi Pleads Guilty but Questions Remain [UPDATED re AE168]
In news today from the military commissions in Guantanamo Bay, Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Haza al Darbi pled guilty to charges brought against him—charges which arose from his role…

The al Iraqi Case and the Future of Military Commissions
This morning’s New York Times features a story by Charlie Savage about yesterday’s addition of a conspiracy charge to the pending military commission proceeding at…

Responding to John Dehn’s Letter to the Editor on the 9/11 Military Commissions
I agree with John Dehn that the military justice system is far more fair, orderly and efficient than the military commission system. My argument for why civilian federal courts…

9/11 Case Stalls as Prosecution Moves to Have Detainee’s Competency to Stand Trial Examined [UPDATED]
In quite an unexpected turn of events in the 9/11 case pre-trial motions hearing, this morning’s session came to a screeching stop almost as soon as it started. As I mentioned…

Updates from Today’s 9/11 Case Hearings Before the Military Commission
Today was the second public session of this week’s pre-trial motion hearings in the 9/11 case before the military commission in Guantanamo Bay. As I am sure many readers…

Judge Pohl’s 9/11 Trial Order on the Convention Against Torture and the Accused’s “Observations and Experiences”
On Monday, Thomas reported that Judge Pohl, in the 9/11 military commissions case (United States v. Mohammed et al.), had reportedly “issued several orders lifting the classifying…

Military Commission “Lifts” Provision Classifying “Observations and Experiences”
The pre-trial motions hearing in the 9/11 case (United States v. Mohammed et al.) is back in session this week. Today’s session was in camera and closed (with public…