9/11 charges dismissed; Oil reserve deposits halted

9/11 charges dismissed

The Pentagon official in charge of war crimes cases dismissed the case against one of six Guantánamo detainees charged in the 9/11 terror attacks. Susan Crawford, the so-called Convening Authority for the Guantánamo military tribunals, gave no explanation for her decision to drop charges against Mohammed al-Qahtani, who was transferred to Guantánamo from a secret CIA prison in 2006. Pentagon officials say al-Qahtani was subjected to “degrading and abusive” treatment in captivity, and legal experts believe that may have influenced Crawford’s decision.

Oil reserve deposits halted

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Congress this week defied President Bush, voting overwhelmingly to halt deposits to the nation’s Strategic Oil Reserve, to free up supplies in a tight market. Currently, the U.S. adds 70,000 barrels of oil a day to the reserve, which is near 97 percent capacity. Administration officials voiced doubt that the measure would lower gas prices, but said the president would not veto it. The bill passed both chambers by such wide margins that any veto would likely be overridden.