January 2002: First suspects brought from Afghanistan to obscure US
naval base leased from Cuba
May 2003: Guantánamo Bay prison population hits peak of 680
October 2003: Red Cross issues a statement noting “deterioration
in the psychological health of a large number of detainees”
July 2004: Military panels begin determining detainees’ “enemy
combatant” status in order to circumvent court ruling that detainees
could challenge their detention on the US mainland
May 2005: Riots break out internationally over alleged abuse of the
Koran
February 2006: UN Report recommends closure of Guantánamo
May 2006: Pentagon says 75 prisoners on a hunger strike
June 2006: Supreme Court rules 5-3 that the trial system devised by the
Bush administration violates US and international law
September 2006: Fourteen “high value” detainees are
transferred to Guantánamo from secret CIA prisons
October 2006: President Bush signs the Military Commissions into law, a
new trial system
March 2007: Australian David Hicks pleads guilty to one charge of
material support for terrorism during a brief military hearing and is sent
home
June 2008: Five detainees held in connection with September 11 attacks
are arraigned at Guantánamo, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
June 2008: Supreme Court rules detainees should have a right to
challenge their detention in US Federal Courts
October 2008: A Washington DC court orders the release of 17 Chinese
Muslims being held without charges
November 2008: Osama bin Laden’s driver, Salim Ahmed Hamdan, released
after his conviction for supporting terrorism
December 2008: Five 9/11 suspects say they want to plead guilty.
January 14, 2009: The US government admits torturing detainee Mohammed
al-Qahtani while he was at Guantánamo Bay under the Bush administration. It
is the first time officials admit using controversial techniques to
interrogate prisoners.
January 22, 2009: President Barack Obama attempts to close down the
facility as well as banning certain interrogation methods.
February 23, 2009 Binyam Mohamed is transferred back to the UK after
more than four years at the camp. He said he was tortured at the hands of
the CIA and there were claims MI5
were aware of the abuse.
June 1, 2009: Prisoner Mohammad Ahmed Abdullah Saleh a Hanashi is found
dead in Guantánamo Bay.
July 21, 2009 President Obama’s review of detention practices at
Guantánamo Bay is delayed by six months.
January 7, 2011: President Obama signs the 2011 Defence Authorisation
Bill, with provisions to prevent the closure of Guantánamo Bay and the
transfer of prisoners away from the camp.
February 2, 2011: Awal Gul dies at Guantánamo Bay.
May 18, 2011: Inayatullah dies at Guantánamo Bay.
September 2, 2011: Sabar Lal Melma dies at Guantánamo Bay.
December 14, 2011: The 2012 National Defence Bill is not vetoed by
President Obama, effectively paving the way for prisoners to be held
indefinitely without charge. It also extends the ban on transferring
prisoners from the facility.
Related posts:
Views: 0