Terrorism

After critical Sidley report, leaders leave psychologists group that backed harsh interrogations

Top officials of the nation’s largest professional organization for psychologists have left their jobs after a critical report by Sidley Austin. The report, commissioned by the American Psychological Association’s board, found that the group had colluded with Bush administration officials to maintain professional guidelines that would not prohibit harsh interrogation…

Jul 15, 2015 10:00 AM CDT

Obama: New policy lets US talk with hostage-takers; families won’t be prosecuted for paying ransom

A revised U.S. policy for dealing with hostage-takers retains a “no concessions” bedrock approach and the country will not pay ransoms, President Barack Obama said during a Wednesday press conference at the White House. However, the revised policy allows U.S. officials to communicate with hostage-takers. It has also been made…

Jun 24, 2015 3:45 PM CDT

Boston Marathon bomber sentenced to death by federal judge

Following a federal jury’s decision last month to impose the ultimate penalty on the Boston Marathon bomber, it was no surprise when the judge in the case gave the mandatory death sentence to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Wednesday. What was perhaps unexpected was the defendant’s acknowledgement of his guilt and his…

Jun 24, 2015 2:45 PM CDT

ABA president seeks new US review of alleged CIA mistreatment of detainees

ABA President William C. Hubbard is asking Attorney General Loretta Lynch to conduct a new review of alleged CIA mistreatment of detainees held at overseas locations. Hubbard noted ABA policy condemning the use of torture in his letter (PDF) to Lynch, according to an ABA press release. Hubbard’s letter called…

Jun 24, 2015 11:26 AM CDT

Charleston church shootings to be investigated as ‘act of domestic terrorism’ by DOJ

Updated: The Department of Justice announced on Friday it is investigating the fatal shootings of nine African-Americans at a historic church in Charleston on Wednesday as an act of domestic terrorism, Reuters reported. “The department is looking at this crime from all angles, including as a hate crime and as…

Jun 19, 2015 4:27 PM CDT

Hate-crime investigation launched after suspect captured in Charleston church shooting

Updated: A 21-year-old white man accused of fatally shooting nine people Wednesday night during a bible-study meeting at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, has been captured. Charleston police chief Gregory Mullen said Dylann Roof was taken into custody Thursday without incident, following a traffic stop 250 miles…

Jun 18, 2015 1:07 PM CDT

2nd Circuit reinstates suit of immigrants rounded up after Sept. 11 attacks

A federal appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit filed on behalf of immigrants illegally in the United States who were rounded up and detained after the Sept. 11 attacks, though they were “unquestionably never involved in terrorist activity.” The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled…

Jun 18, 2015 8:43 AM CDT

US Senate votes to strengthen torture ban, adopts measures to help set parameters

In a 78-21 vote, the U.S. Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly agreed to strengthen a ban on torture as part of a defense policy bill. The National Defense Authorization Act amendment also includes provisions that limit interrogation techniques to those authorized by the Army Field Manual and require the U.S. government…

Jun 17, 2015 2:50 PM CDT

Federal appeals court narrows the type of crimes that can be tried by military commissions

A federal appeals court on Friday overturned the conspiracy conviction of Osama bin Laden’s spokesperson in an opinion that narrowed the types of crimes that can be tried by military commissions. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in a 2-1 decision (PDF) that military commissions may…

Jun 15, 2015 7:36 AM CDT

DOJ approved NSA Internet data searches for hacking by foreign governments, Snowden documents reveal

The Justice Department secretly approved searches of Internet data originating abroad for evidence of hacking by foreign governments, according to new documents from Edward Snowden. Justice Department lawyers wrote two memos in 2012 allowing the warrantless searches by the National Security Agency for Internet addresses and patterns of computer intrusions…

Jun 4, 2015 10:54 AM CDT

Reform surveillance bill is signed into law; US call data will be held by telecoms rather than NSA

President Barack Obama on Tuesday signed into law the new USA Freedom Act, which bans bulk collection of U.S. cellphone and Internet data by the National Security Agency. The new law will require telecoms rather than the government to maintain call data. That data could be searched with an order…

Jun 3, 2015 7:08 AM CDT

Key parts of Patriot Act expire; what options do feds still have for investigating terrorism?

Three key provisions of the Patriot Act expired today, forcing terrorism investigators to use more traditional techniques or to rely on a grandfather clause for investigations already underway. The provisions expired in the face of opposition by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and a Senate rule allowing for 30 hours of…

Jun 1, 2015 7:20 AM CDT

House passes bill to end NSA’s bulk collection of data; critics say it doesn’t go far enough

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill to end mass collection of phone data by the National Security Agency, while still allowing for searches of the data held by private sector companies. The “USA Freedom Act” faces some opposition in the Senate, where some see no need…

May 14, 2015 10:49 AM CDT

‘Dead Man Walking’ nun testifies Boston bomber appeared to regret his actions

The nun portrayed by Susan Sarandon in the film Dead Man Walking testified on behalf of convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Monday before the defense wrapped up its case. Testifying during the penalty phase of Tsarnaev’s trial, Sister Helen Prejean said Tsarnaev told her that no one should…

May 11, 2015 10:47 AM CDT

Father of alleged Boston bomber had PTSD, psychiatrist testifies

A psychiatrist testifying in the trial of alleged Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Tuesday said the defendant’s father reported being tortured in a Russian camp during the Chechen wars and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. The father, Anzor Tsarnaev, had anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks and paranoia and made frequent trips…

May 6, 2015 7:31 AM CDT