Richmond, Va.
In a rebuff to President Bush’s anti-terrorism policies, a federal court ruled this week that the government could not hold a U.S. resident indefinitely without charging him or releasing him. The court ruled on the case of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, a Qatari national. He was living legally in the U.S. when he was arrested in December 2001 on suspicion of belonging to an al Qaida “sleeper cell.” Since then, the U.S. has held him in a naval prison in Charleston, S.C., without charging him. But a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court, based in Richmond, said the government could not detain Marri indefinitely simply by declaring him an “enemy combatant.” To do so, the court ruled, “would have disastrous consequences for the Constitution—and the country.” The Justice Department said it would appeal. While the legal process continues, Marri remains in the Charleston brig.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Democrats push for ICE accountabilityFeature U.S. citizens shot and violently detained by immigration agents testify at Capitol Hill hearing
-
The price of sporting gloryFeature The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics kicked off this week. Will Italy regret playing host?
-
Fulton County: A dress rehearsal for election theft?Feature Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is Trump's de facto ‘voter fraud’ czar
