The Supreme Court’s latest hearing surrounding the Gitmo detainees will determine the legality of the military commission system and whether or not it is an “adequate and effective†alternative to suspending prisoners’ rights to habeus corpus in civilian courts:
- For Justices, Another Day on Detainees (New York Times)
…meanwhile Miami-based federal judge Marcia Cooke will examine “every relevant event in [Jose] Padilla’s life†to determine his sentence, but federal prosecutors want her to avoid the three years and eight months in military brig where he was allegedly tortured:
- What’s a Fair Sentence for Jose Padilla? (Christian Science Monitor)
Seeking to promote better relations with its Gulf neighbors, Iran proposes setting up regional security and free trade frameworks:
- Iran Wants Economic, Security Pacts with Gulf Arabs (Reuters/Washington Post)
With Lebanese parties looking like they are coming to an agreement on the country’s new presidential candidate, talks between Palestinians, Israelis, Americans and Syrians in Annapolis can proceed more smoothly:
- Is the U.S. Now Ready for Talks with Syria? (Christian Science Monitor)
Teddy bear teacher Gillian Gibbons receives a pardon from Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir after meeting with British Muslim MPs Lord Nazir Ahmed and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi:
- British Teacher in Teddy-Bear Row Pardoned (Adnkronos International)
Somewhat reflective of Musharraf’s contradictory martial law policies of “cruel and unexpectedly lenient,†Nawaz Sharif is permitted to actively speak out against Musharraf and meet with other leading opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, but Pakistan’s Electoral Commission bans him from running in elections:
- Musharraf’s Emergency Rule Abounding in Contradictions (Washington Post)
- Pakistan Opposition Heads To Meet (BBC News)
- Sharif Facing Pakistan Poll Ban (BBC News)
Leave a Reply