Recently, the Kuwaiti Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, traveled to the United States and, in a meeting with Vice President Biden, once again asserted Kuwait’s interest in seeing its two remaining citizens (Fayiz Al-Kandari and Fawzi Al-Odah) returned from America’s island prison in Guantanamo Bay (GTMO). While I applaud the Prime Minister addressing [...]
Long ago, individuals from around the world came to America to escape kings and monarchs that had the power to treat people with utter distain, sending their children to wars on a whim, and imprisoning people without charge or judicial review, sometimes for life. For many, the behavior of these rulers became so intolerable that [...]
On January 11, 2011, Kuwaiti citizen Mohammad Ghazzai Al-Mutairi was reportedly beaten and tortured to death by members of the Kuwaiti police force (part of Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior). Of course, in the interest of “security,” what actually transpired will never truly be known. Nonetheless, this horrific example of how the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior [...]
Have we become a nation that values intelligence and secrecy over individual rights and government transparency? Can we as a nation be secure without having to dominate those abroad in never-ending wars, while single-handedly garrisoning the world? At the onset, I acknowledge that intelligence is important and that certain information must be kept secret. Nonetheless, [...]
In 2002, my client, Kuwaiti citizen Fayiz Al-Kandari, was captured by Pakistani forces and sold to the United States military. Since that time, he has been confined at America’s notorious island prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for almost nine years now without charge. On various occasions since 2002, Kuwait has politely asked the United States [...]
The U.S. government routinely uses the term “War on Terror” to describe its military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. But how do we really define this “War on Terror”? After all, terrorism dates back to at least the 14th century, and individuals, groups and even nations have employed it ever since. It’s hard to argue [...]
Imagine the following scenario: Four Americans are apprehended and detained by a foreign nation. This foreign nation, a close ally of the United States (US), suggests a willingness to return the American detainees, but only if the US is willing to take them back. In response, the US announces its eagerness to take custody of its own citizens. Meanwhile, rumors begin to circulate that the American detainees are being mistreated.
During his 2008 campaign, President Obama promised the country “change we can believe in.” Yet, more than a year into his administration, he has delivered “more of the same” on issues pertaining to Guantanamo Bay. The island prison is still open, detainees still await trials, and officials have recommended the worst of George W. Bush’s policies — indefinite detention.
With the Obama administration’s January 2010 deadline for closing Guantanamo Bay now in the past, two Kuwaiti detainees remain imprisoned in Cuba where they have been held without trial for more than eight years. While the U.S. government is primarily responsible for the suffering these Kuwaitis have endured, the Government of Kuwait is also responsible for allowing the injustice to continue.
As evidenced by the recent outpouring of generous support for the people of Haiti, America remains a caring and compassionate nation. But when it comes to human rights and the rule of law, the United States falls woefully short, trailing behind the rest of the civilized world. Case in point, the U.S. government is seriously considering indefinite detentions for some Guantanamo detainees.
