Topic: Guantanamo Bay

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Where do things stand at Guantánamo? Six basic questions answered.

President Obama this week pledged to “reengage” with Congress to find a way to close the terror detention camp at the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, naval base. The renewed focus comes as 100 of the 166 detainees are reported to be engaged in a hunger strike. Here is a brief look at where things stand now.
Banksy: 7 stories from 'The Man Behind the Wall'

Here are 7 Banksy stories from the recent biography "Banksy: The Man Behind the Wall."
Blasphemy riots: 6 examples around the world

Many Muslims consider any depiction of the prophet to be forbidden, and Islamic teachings call for handling the Quran with respect. Incidents of both intentional and unintentional disrespect have occasionally prompted protests and violence around the world. Here are six examples:
Focus
Obama or Romney? Why 5 undecided voters are still on the fence.

The presidential election will be decided by a tiny fraction of American voters – those in swing states who have not made up their minds. What are these 1 million people waiting for? The Monitor talked to five undecided voters to find out.
CIA's harsh interrogation techniques: three key memos now online

The most detailed documents describing the Central Intelligence Agency’s secret interrogation, rendition, and detention program are now online in the American Civil Liberties Union’s new Torture Database. Here are three of the most important memos of the 5,000-plus that the ACLU obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and legal challenges going back to 2003, according to Alexander Abdo, staff attorney for the ACLU’s National Security Project.

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Military interrogators: Waterboarding didn't yield tips that led to bin Laden

Several former military interrogators refute assertions that waterboarding and other 'enhanced' methods provided intelligence that led the US to bin Laden. Some lament lost opportunity to grill Al Qaeda's leader.
Opinion: Osama bin Laden and America's long journey from 9/11 to 5/1

The killing of Osama bin Laden means that, for the first time in years, there may be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
Torture debate overshadows US unity after bin Laden's killing

Half of Americans credit Bush for Osama bin Laden's killing, reigniting a debate over tactics including secret prisons and 'enhanced interrogation' techniques.
Top 5 Al Qaeda-linked militants Pakistan has captured

Amid an official US probe into whether the Pakistani military knew of Osama bin Laden's hiding spot and if they shielded him, it could be easy to overlook Pakistan's notable successes against alleged Al Qaeda militants, thousands of whom have been killed or captured by Pakistani forces over the past decade. Here's a look at five of the highest-profile Al Qaeda captures in Pakistan with the help of the local security services.
How Osama Bin Laden's death will affect Al Qaeda in Yemen

Al Qaeda in Yemen has long acted independently from Osama bin Laden's organization, but Yemen's president may emphasize the threat it poses in order to retain power.
The Monitor's View: Why Israel and Obama should welcome Hamas-Fatah reconciliation

The Arab Spring has inspired young Palestinians to protest for an elected, unified government. Hamas has agreed – a hint that its moderates may be gaining influence. Don't dismiss the pact too quickly.
For Obama, WikiLeaks' Guantánamo files come at bad time

Now that the Obama administration has abandoned the idea of civilian-court trials for detainees, it wants to promote confidence in the military tribunal system at Guantánamo. But new WikiLeaks documents paint a picture of 'questionable' charges.
Obama in California: The good, the bad, and the $35,800 dinner plate

President Obama made his two-day, six-stop trip to California to raise money and rally his base. Along the way, he drew cheers at Facebook headquarters and hecklers in San Francisco.
Supreme Court refuses to hear Guantánamo Bay detainee case

The Supreme Court turned aside a second appeal from five Uighurs, held at Guantánamo Bay's prison camp since 2002 despite admissions from the Bush administration that they are neither enemy combatants nor connected to Al Qaeda or the Taliban.
Can Obama win back liberals with his new attack on the GOP?

For months, President Obama heard grumbling from his left. Now he seems to have taken off the gloves – rhetorically, at least – going after Republicans and laying out a more progressive vision.
The Conspirator: movie review

'The Conspirator' is a courtroom drama about Mary Surratt, a Confederate sympathizer accused of helping to plot Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
How Speaker Boehner brought a recalcitrant tea party to the budget deal

The budget deal marks the debut of an 87-member GOP freshman class committed to deep spending cuts. Speaker John Boehner defied his critics to rally his caucus and produce an agreement, without shutting down government.
In abrupt reversal, 9/11 suspects to get Guantánamo military tribunals

The Obama administration had wanted to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other 9/11 suspects in a civilian court in New York. It abandoned that plan Monday in favor of military tribunals.
Supreme Court rejects Guantánamo detainees' appeals for better protections

The appeals of three Guantánamo detainees are among the first dealing with this issue to emerge from the Washington federal appeals court. The Supreme Court refused the cases without comment.
A war of extremes over Quran burning

A Florida preacher's acts don't typify Christianity. Mob violence doesn't typify Islam.
Pakistan captures accused plotter in 2002 Bali bombings

Umar Patek's presence in Pakistan raises new questions about ongoing collaboration between Southeast Asian Islamic militants and Al Qaeda.
Will Yemen protests boost Al Qaeda?

Yemen protesters say Saleh has overstated the threat posed by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to get US aid. But the group stands to benefit from major upheaval.
Canadian TV producers: We don't really hate America

US diplomatic cables suggested Canadian TV seeks to “twist current events to feed long-standing negative images of the US." Not really, say Canadian producers and officials.
Bradley Manning comment costs State Department spokesman his job

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley resigned over controversial comments he made about the treatment of alleged WikiLeaks source US Army Pfc. Bradley Manning.
Obama orders Guantánamo tribunals to resume. Is he abandoning his pledge?

Obama ends a two-year ban on military tribunals at the US prison at Guantánamo Bay, which he had vowed to close. In a bid to enhance US 'values,' he orders a new review process for detainees.
Julian Assange: Extradition to Sweden just a stop en route to US?

Julian Assange should be extradited to Sweden, a British judge ruled Thursday. His attorneys argued that the US will extradite him from there, putting him at risk of a death sentence.
In his memoir, Donald Rumsfeld admits five mistakes, sort of

As former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says in his new memoir, "Known and Unknown," he is not one for wrestling with remorse. “Never much of a handwringer,” he writes. When Mr. Rumsfeld does share moments of decisionmaking doubt, he tends to emphasize the role that “others” played in leading him or the American public astray. Throughout the memoir, Rumsfeld is not averse to settling some old scores. Here are five mistakes that Rumsfeld acknowledges having made, and the people he wishes would get blamed right along with him.
Julian Assange: WikiLeaks founder fighting extradition to Sweden

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is fighting efforts to extradite him to Sweden. Lawyers for Julian Assange cite several reasons, including a lack of charges, which they say are necessary for extradition.
In Congress, GOP backs Obama's Egypt stance, Dems not so much

Some Democrats, including Sen. John Kerry, are breaking with the White House, calling for Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak to 'step down.' Republicans are deferring to President Obama's policy.
Opinion: US message to Arab world matters -- and Obama is sending the wrong one

The message the US projects abroad will resonate long after the final pass of the Super Bowl. The US must lend its full-throated support to the protesters of the Arab world. It matters – both for the future of the region, and the future of America. Sitting on the sidelines may cost us more than our regional standing; it may cost us our own ideals.