US bars attorneys' access to detainees

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

US bars attorneys' access to detainees

Posted on Fri, Sep. 21, 2007

By BEN FOX
Associated Press Writer

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Attorneys for at least 40
Guantanamo Bay prisoners have been barred from
visiting or writing their clients because of a judge's
order dismissing legal challenges to the men's
confinement, the U.S. Department of Justice said
Friday.

A Justice Department lawyer informed the attorneys
of the new restrictions in an e-mail that cited
Thursday's dismissal of their cases by District Court
Judge Ricardo Urbina in Washington.

"In light of this development, counsel access (both
legal mail and in-person visits) is no longer
permitted," Justice Department lawyer Andrew I.
Warden said in the e-mail.

Urbina's ruling, which covered 16 legal petitions
filed on behalf of 40-60 detainees, invalidated an
order that establishes rules for contact with
detainees, Warden said.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/246654.html

[JeffR]

1. Utterly appalling

[saigon68]

11. It has the best features of Nazi Germany

Except the "Leader" is a Chimpanzee

With the real power behind the throne "Gangster Cheney"

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Folks, this is a world without Habeas Corpus.

Today it's Guantanamo.

Tomorrow will it be your neighborhood?

[FREEWILL56]

4. It no doubt will be.

He's made it quite clear that he does not care about others or their rights so why should we be any different? There are more hurdles with our system to treat us that badly, but he's breaking down those barriers everyday and shown no real caring when katrina hit and has worked very hard to thwart our country's checks and balances. He is disrespecting our troops in a trumped up war that is for oil by cycling them over and over again while letting those that did attack us go free. He must be trying to see to it that all of our troops over there gets killed and we all know how well equiped he made our men and women in our armed services for their protection. He has the nerve to call anybody else evil when that bastard already bought a oneway ticket to hell that he's not going to get out of as God will see to it.
Hmmm. Come to think of it, if I didn't say by God, I probably would be under arrest for threatening the asshole. I don't have to threaten as there is somebody higher that will take care of him and I hope it's real soon.

[Middle finga]

3. I wonder what country those detainees are from and what they say

about the country's leaders who allow their citizens to be abused by the tyrannical Bush regime, whatever government that would sell out their citizen like that should be overthrown. I know that can't confront us militarily but they can take the case before UN to try to get their citizens back.

[alfredo]

5. Spread this around

[f the letter]

6. This is amazing

The issues surrounding "detainees" are vitally important to prevent our full immersion into fascism. We really can't afford to let this go on without public outcry.. call your newspaper, senator, whatever you've got.

i don't understand how people are able to not remember how recently things like South American 'disapperances' or Rwandan genocide etc happened, and how people won't bother to look at the similarities in the paths to these results

[neweurope]

7. k & r

---------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[annabanana]

8. K&R for more visibility... We've been trumpeting little victories

and not the setbacks..

We must do both.

[DeepModem Mom]

9. K&R

[C_U_L8R]

10. Welcome to the American Inquisition

[Judi Lynn]

12. Gitmo Ruling Clouds Attorney Access

Gitmo Ruling Clouds Attorney Access
By BEN FOX – 8 hours ago

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Attorneys for Guantanamo Bay detainees will ask a judge to rescind a ruling that created a new hurdle for some lawyers seeking to visit their clients at the prison in Cuba.

In Thursday's ruling, District Court Judge Ricardo Urbina in Washington dismissed 16 lawsuits challenging the indefinite confinement of dozens of men.

In an e-mail to lawyers, the Justice Department said Friday that the ruling invalidated an order that establishes rules for contact with detainees. It warned attorneys that they will be cut off from their clients unless they file new suits under a 2005 law and agree to tighter restrictions on visits and letters to detainees.

Attorney visits provide one of the few sources of information about detainees at Guantanamo, an isolated Navy base in Cuba where the U.S. holds about 340 men under extremely tight security on suspicion of terrorism or links to al-Qaida or the Taliban.

Most of the prisoners are held without charge and have filed petitions of habeas corpus, a legal challenge to their confinement.

Last year, Congress passed the Military Commissions Act, which stripped all detainees of the right to file habeas petitions — a fundamental legal right under the Constitution. The Supreme Court has said it will consider the law in its next term.

More:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5grJR87nPbzo5Bz2_J7hbbwLewe6w