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98 Dead Prisoners

Indefinite detention without trial is bad. Torture is worse. Killing prisoners is unbelievably heinous and despicable, especially for a country that claims to adhere to the rule of law. BBC News reports today that 98 prisoners "have died in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan since August 2002." The information, which has been kept secret by the US Defense Department, was obtained by Human Rights First and broadcast by BBC on Newsnight.

Of the 98 deaths, at least 34 were suspected or confirmed homicides, the programme said.

The Pentagon told Newsnight it had not seen the report but took allegations of maltreatment "very seriously" and would prosecute if necessary.…

The report defines the 34 cases classified as homicides as "caused by intentional or reckless behaviour".

It says another 11 cases have been deemed suspicious and that between eight and 12 prisoners were tortured to death.

But despite this, charges are rare and sentences are light, the report says.

UK MP Bob Marshall-Andrews [said], "If it is indeed systemic, then the responsibility for it must go right to the top, and that would apply to both British and American governments."

George Bush and Tony Blair, that means you. The full report will be is now available from the Human Rights First website Wednesday at 11 AM EST.

The Slow Wheels of Justice

For three and a half years, Jose Padilla, a US citizen, was imprisoned by the US military on the pretext that he was a "dirty bomber," that he was preparing to explode a conventional bomb jacketed with radioactive material in an American city. But he was never formally charged, and he was therefore not allowed to defend himself in court. In fact, until recently, he was not allowed to see a lawyer.

Now the Supreme Court has allowed him to be turned over from the military to the civilian justice system, so we may hope that he will soon get his day in court. But whether he is finally found guilty or not, there remain several odd and disturbing aspects to the case.

First, the Supreme Court states in its brief order that the question of whether he was held legally by the military remains to be decided, and the petition for certiori will be considered "in due course." That means that the September order by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the Bush administration's authority to capture and detain Padilla as an "enemy combatant," is not moot; and it is possible that the Supreme Court will overturn that finding. Let us hope so. If not, anyone could in theory be held indefinitely on the merest suspicion and without the ability to mount a legal defense—or even to discover the evidence behind the suspicion.

Second, the Department of Justice indictment does not charge Padilla with preparing a "dirty bomb" or even with planning any attack within the United States. He is charged instead with "being part of a violent terrorism conspiracy rooted in North America but directed at sending money and recruits overseas to 'murder, kidnap and maim.'" This bait-and-switch technique was apparently one of the factors two weeks ago that caused the Fourth Circuit to object to Padilla's move to civilian custody. As Judge Michael Luttig wrote, the government's "actions have left not only the impression that Padilla may have been held for these years, even if justifiably, by mistake," that is, that the Bush administration was lying.

The entire fiasco is yet another reminder that George Bush and his cabal do not take governing seriously. For them, it's merely a game of money and power. And Jose Padilla is insignificant, collateral damage.

The Dominoes Begin to Fall

As predicted, it's a plea bargain for Jack Abramoff, whose well-connected money machine has fueled the vast right-wing conspiracy. He is guilty, and he's talking about who else is guilty. William Branigin et al in the Washington Post:

Former high-powered lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty today to three felony charges in a deal with federal prosecutors that helps clear the way for his testimony about members of Congress and congressional staffers in a wide-ranging political corruption investigation.

The Post also has an interactive graphic showing all the connections, including Tom DeLay, Grover Norquist, and Ralph Reed, and an annotated rogues' gallery. Think Progress has an even more extensive list of the cabal members. If Abramoff tells all he knows, it appears that dominoes will fall all the way to the gates of the White House.

Jane Hamsher at firedoglake exposes the lie that Abramoff was an equal-opportunity sleazeball, helping Democrats as well as Republicans. Now it's up to the Democrats to make a case for themselves as the party of clean, competent government.