PEDES3ANTECH

From the  Intercept : US Appeals Court won't block the release of Guantanamo force feeding videos of  Abu Wa’el Dhiab.  This decision gets us a step closer to seeing more clearly the kinds of abuse Guantanamo detainees are subject to. We have seen pictures of abuse - both physical and psychological - committed against detainees in the past. The US Senate recently published a report stating that the US government engaged in torture and a lot of them happened in Guantanamo. Just these two things would be enough to justify calls to permanently close down Guantanamo but the Obama administration continues to refuse to set a solid deadline for its closure.  If these videos are released it will renew calls for the closure of Guantanamo with more vigor and outrage. The Obama administration will certainly fight the release because they do not want to be put in a corner about Guantanamo. They cannot risk the public having a renewed outrage over Guantana...

Obama during his January 17, 2014 speech. Photo credit thinkprogress.org We are coming up to the 1 year anniversary of President Obama's speech promising the American people reforms on how the NSA works (see transcript of speech here ). Although the speech was an exercise in political babbling it had some promised reforms that would have limited the NSA's capabilities. On January 17, 2014 President Barack Obama promised the following reforms to the American people; Strengthen Executive oversight and review of Intelligence operation.          Obama said: " This guidance will strengthen executive branch oversight of our intelligence activities. It will ensure that we take into account our security requirements, but also our alliances, our trade and investment relationships, including the concerns of American companies, and our commitment to privacy and basic liberties. And we will review decisions about intelligence priorities and se...