Military Commissions Act Amendments Head to Obama for Signature
This post has been corrected. Previously, the post was incorrectly based on an earlier version of the bill. The Military Commissions Act amendments to the
Jul 31, 2020218.9K Shares3M Views
This post has been corrected. Previously, the post was incorrectly based on an earlier version of the bill.
The Military Commissions Act amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (H.R. 2647) were approved in Congress yesterday and are en route to the President for his signature. The full text of the bill is here.
Interestingly, despite the President’s statements and other indications that the Obama administration prefers Article III civilian federal courtsto try terrorism cases, the new Military Commissions Act seems to favor trials in military commissions for “unprivileged enemy belligerents” (previously known as “enemy combatants”), who make up the bulk of detainees at Guantanamo Bay not yet cleared for release, by keeping the commissions’ jurisdiction over them broad. Attempts at narrowing who is subject to military commission jurisdiction failed.
Significantly, however, the final bill dropped an earlier provision, which explicitly stated that it is the “sense of Congress” that military commissions are “the preferred forum for the trial of alien unprivileged enemy belligerents”.
Paolo Reyna
Reviewer
Paolo Reyna is a writer and storyteller with a wide range of interests. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies.
Paolo enjoys writing about celebrity culture, gaming, visual arts, and events. He has a keen eye for trends in popular culture and an enthusiasm for exploring new ideas. Paolo's writing aims to inform and entertain while providing fresh perspectives on the topics that interest him most.
In his free time, he loves to travel, watch films, read books, and socialize with friends.
Latest Articles
Popular Articles