War Crimes

The first person to face a US war crimes tribunal since WWII was formally sentenced at Gauntanamo Bay. David Hicks, and Australian captured in Afghanistan after fleeing al-Qa'ida frontlines in Kandahar, was originally sentenced to seven years, but his plea agreement allows him to only serve nine months. Hicks had originally faced a life sentence […]

David M. Hicks, the 31 year old Australian national being held at Gauntanamo Bay, will be returned to his home country within two months. Hicks plead guilty to charges of providing material support to al-Qa'ida on Monday. He is the first person to face the new tribunal system to try Gauntanamo detainees and his trial […]

Canadian courts have begun to hear testaments in their first trial for genocide and war crimes. The trials focus on the Rwandan genocides. The Canadian courts are calling on witnesses from five countries, as well as sending Justices to Rwanda to hear testimonials. A witness identified only as C-16 detailed accounts of rape and murder […]

Allegations of violations of the laws of war by former Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, were dismissed in US District Court yesterday. Nine former prisoners of detention facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan represented by The American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights First allege that Rumsfeld had personally approved torture techniques and violated the rights granted […]

The Pentagon's detainee offices have released the transcripts of KSM's (among others) trial before the CSRT. Inquiries have also been made regarding Hick's trial yesterday.

David Hicks will be arraigned for war crimes before a US military tribunal enacted at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba at 1pm this afternoon. Hicks, 31, is charged with providing material support for al-Qa'ida during the US led conflict in Afghanistan to oust the Taliban regime and track down associates of bin Laden's group. In a previous […]

Dr. Vali Nasr, one of leading experts on Islam and Muslim politics, presented a lecture for Grand Rapids Community College's Diversity Lecture Series at Fountain Street Church. Dr. Nasr is the author of many books, including The Shia Revival, and is a Professor at the Naval Postgraduate School. He is also an adjunct Senior Fellow […]

The former Iraqi Vice President, Taha Yassin Ramadan, was executed by hanging in Baghdad overnight. The Iraqi Tribunal had originally handed down a life sentence for Ramadan, but an appeals court ruled the sentence "too lenient". Ramadan was the fourth member of the former Iraqi regime to be hanged for the Dujail massacre. The motorcade […]

This is a brief; topics will be detailed further throughout the week. Walid Mohammad bin Attash confesses to USS Cole attack. The CSRT system in Guantanamo Bay has been hearing the cases of fourteen high value detainees transferred there from CIA black sites. The transcripts of Khalid Sheik Mohammed have been outlined previously here. This […]

Former Iraqi Vice President, Taha Yassin Ramadan, has been sentenced to death by hanging by the appeals chamber of the Iraqi High Tribunal (IHT). The IHT had originally handed down a life sentence in regards to the Dujail massacres of 1982, which followed a failed assassination attempt against former Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein , himself […]

The historical aim of tribunals is an integrated, universal policy that will diffuse to local assimilation through continued and standard usage. A practical division of labor accompanied by a reasonable balance between punitive and reconciliatory measures will bring about this assimilation in order to effectively establish a reasonable standard moral code. The 19th century jurisprudential […]

The US announced that it will hold Combatant Status Review Tribunals (CSRT's) for 14 suspects transferred from "black sites' operated overseas by the Central Intelligence Agency. Among these detainees are Khalid Sheik Mohammed, alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, a senior al-Qa'ida officer and member of the Hamburg cell implicated in […]