Guantanamo Bay Timeline Archives
Guantanamo Bay Timeline

6/18/2013: Federal judge urged new approach in handling Guantanamo detainee cases

6/17/2013: US government released names of indefinite Guantanamo detainees

6/17/2013: President Obama appointed Guantanamo closure envoy

6/10/2013: US military prosecutors charged Guantanamo detainee with war crimes

6/6/2013: House panel approved defense spending bill that blocked Guantanamo closure

5/23/2013: Obama addressed US drone strikes, steps to close Guantanamo

5/23/2013: Guantanamo lawyers sought end to allegedly abusive search policy

4/30/2013: President Obama renewed pledge to close Guantanamo

4/28/2013: Former Guantanamo detainee’s lawyer announced appeal of terrorism conviction

4/22/2013: US military confirmed more than half of Guantanamo detainees were on hunger strike

4/8/2013: US announced it would notify Guantanamo prisoners’ lawyers of force-feeding

4/5/2013: UN rights chief called for Guantanamo prison closure

3/26/2013: Guantanamo detainee requested immediate relief amid alleged mistreatment, hunger strike

3/7/2013: Guantanamo defense lawyers claimed detainees faced harsh conditions, hunger strike

2/21/2013: ACLU appealed decision allowing Guantanamo testimony censorship

2/19/2013: Guantanamo judge gave defense lawyers access to secret detention area

2/12/2013: Navy Lawyers claimed Guantanamo bugs did not breach detainee attorney-client privilege

2/4/2013: Military judge refused to halt USS Cole hearing

1/31/2013: Military judge ordered to stop 9/11 hearing censoring

1/28/2013: Guantanamo detainee sought ECHR ruling on Poland role in CIA secret prison

1/28/2013: Defense lawyers sought to preserve prisons as evidence in 9/11 trial

1/9/2013: Federal judge ruled Guantanamo detainee had no right to top secret information

1/3/2013: Obama signed defense spending bill despite Guantanamo restrictions

12/14/2012: Federal judge affirmed denial of habeas petition for Guantanamo detainee

12/12/2012: US military judge upheld request to censor 9/11 conspirators’ testimony

11/29/2012: Government report claimed that Guantanamo detainees could be safely absorbed by US prisons

11/7/2012: ACLU urged Obama to close Guantanamo during second term

11/4/2012: DOJ filed notice of appeal on Guantanamo prisoner access to counsel

10/23/2012: Accused USS Cole bomber boycotted pretrial hearing

10/15/2012: Military judge ruled 9/11 accused do not have to attend hearings

9/29/2012: US transferred Guantanamo detainee Khadr to Canada

9/21/2012: ACLU announced that US government released names of Guantanamo prisoners approved for transfer

9/8/2012: Guantanamo detainee died after being found unconscious in cell

9/6/2012: Federal judge rejected new restrictions on Guantanamo detainees’ access to counsel

9/5/2012: US delivered Khadr documents to Canada authorities

8/29/2012: US charged Guantanamo detainee with supporting terrorism

8/17/2012: Federal judge expressed skepticism about new Guantanamo access to counsel restrictions

8/7/2012: DOJ argued continued attorney access at Guantanamo was government decision

8/2/2012: Military commission announced plans to hear oral arguments on ACLU censorship challenge

8/2/2012: Egypt requested release of its last citizen held at Guantanamo

7/30/2012: Former Saudi Arabia Guantanamo detainee surrendered

7/27/2012: UN official called for transfer of Khadr to Canada

7/24/2012: Australia abandoned appropriation of book profits of former Guantanamo detainee

7/17/2012: Kuwait lawyer sued government officials for release of Guantanamo detainees

7/16/2012: Guantanamo hearing for accused 9/11 conspirators was delayed for Ramadan

7/11/2012: Bin Laden associate was released from Guantanamo prison

6/30/2012: US reported to be considering transfer of Guantanamo detainees to Afghanistan

6/29/2012: US dropped charges against Kuwait Guantanamo detainee

6/29/2012: Kuwait sought release of Guantanamo detainees

6/26/2012: Accused 9/11 conspirator asked the UN to investigate torture allegations

6/21/2012: Khadr lawyers renewed request for transfer to Canada

6/14/2012: Holder announced that Guantanamo detainees will not be transferred to Illinois prison

6/11/2012: Supreme Court declined to hear Guantanamo prisoner cases

6/9/2012: Defense lawyers requested that USS Cole trial be broadcast worldwide

6/2/2012: Federal appeals court ruled against former Guantanamo prosecutor in wrongful termination case

5/23/2012: Federal judge ordered Pentagon to turn over Guantanamo videos

5/5/2012: 9/11 suspects arraigned at military tribunal

5/2/2012: ACLU sought access to 9/11 trial testimony

4/19/2012: Uighur Guantanamo detainees released to El Salvador

4/18/2012: Khadr requested transfer to Canada

4/9/2012: Chief Guantanamo judge sets trial date for 9/11 accused

4/4/2012: DOD referred charges against 9/11 suspects to military commission

3/30/2012: Human rights court agreed to hear Guantanamo detainee case

3/10/2012: Five Guantanamo detainees agreed to Qatar transfer

2/20/2012: Chief Guantanamo judge protected confidentiality of attorney-client mail

2/8/2012: Lawyer for 9/11 suspect challenged government review of legal correspondence

1/17/2012: Guantanamo commander defended policy of reading prisoner mail

1/16/2012: Algeria court sentenced former Guantanamo detainee to prison

1/8/2012: Guantanamo chief defense counsel refused to allow review of attorney letters

12/28/2011: Guantanamo rule change required review of attorney letters in 9/11 cases

4/4/2011: Holder announced 9/11 conspirators to face military trials

1/19/2011: Obama administration announced it may resume military commissions

1/7/2011: Obama signed law barring transfer of Guantanamo detainees to US for trial

12/22/2010: Congress approved defense spending bill preventing US trials for Guantanamo detainees

10/6/2010: Former Guantanamo detainee sued US government

4/28/2010: Pentagon released military commissions manual

4/7/2010: Former Guantanamo detainee sued US government for torture

3/26/2010: US defense secretary appointed top military commissions authority

2/17/2010: Federal judge dismissed Guantanamo detainee wrongful death suit

1/29/2010: DOJ ethics report cleared ‘torture memo’ lawyers

1/22/2010: Two Guantanamo Bay detainees transferred to Algeria

12/9/2009: Guantanamo detainee transferred to Kuwait

12/2/2009: Albania announced willingness to accept more detainees

11/13/2009: Holder announced federal trials for accused 9/11 conspirators

11/5/2009: Senate defeated proposal to prevent 9/11 suspects from being tried in federal court

10/28/2009: Obama signed bill allowing transfer of Guantanamo detainees to US for trial

10/6/2009: Holder said Guantanamo may not close by January deadline

9/21/2009: Military judge granted government 60-day continuance in Guantanamo trial

9/16/2009: Hungary accepted Guantanamo detainee

7/29/2009: Ireland agreed to take 2 Guantanamo detainees

7/23/2009: UN rights investigators denied access to Guantanamo detention facility

7/20/2009: Federal court suppressed Guantanamo detainee ‘torture’ statements

6/29/2009: DOJ released report saying Guantanamo detainees have limited constitutional protections

6/26/2009: Senate committee defense budget included military commission reforms

6/25/2009: UN rights chief protested degraded torture conventions

6/20/2009: Portugal agreed to take up to 3 Guantanamo detainees

6/15/2009: CIA released documents describing Guantanamo detainee torture

5/26/2009: Tunisia prepared to accept 10 Guantanamo detainees

5/21/2009: Obama defended Guantanamo closure plan

5/19/2009: Military judge granted government motion to delay Guantanamo case

4/23/2009: Guantanamo detainee lawsuit claimed torture prior to authorization

4/16/2009: DOJ released secret CIA interrogation memos

4/14/2009: Guantanamo detainee alleged continued abuse in interview

4/6/2009: Austria refused to accept Guantanamo detainees

4/3/2009: France accepted one Guantanamo detainee

3/16/2009: Red Cross deemed CIA interrogation tactics torture

3/13/2009: Obama DOJ dropped ‘enemy combatant’ classification

2/24/2009: Spain agreed to accept Guantanamo detainees

1/22/2009: Obama ordered Guantanamo prison closed within a year

1/21/2009: Guantanamo judge granted Obama suspension of commission

1/20/2009: Obama directed prosecutors to seek Guantanamo military commissions delay

1/5/2009: UN torture investigator called on countries to accept Guantanamo detainees

10/28/2008: Federal judge ruled on meaning of ‘enemy combatant’

10/10/2008: Obama advisers began planning Guantanamo prison closure

6/12/2008: Supreme Court ruled Guantanamo detainees have habeas corpus privilege

6/5/2008: Alleged 9/11 conspirators arraigned before military commission

3/29/2008: Ex-Guantanamo Bay detainee described torture allegations

3/13/2008: ACLU sued for Guantanamo full hearing transcripts

2/26/2008: International bar association called for Guantanamo closure

12/11/2007: Guantanamo detainee alleged CIA has torture photos

10/29/2007: UN rights expert urged US to prosecute or release Guantanamo prisoners

3/30/2007: Guantanamo detainee claimed torture prompted confession to USS Cole bombing

3/5/2007: Ex-Guantanamo Bay detainee alleged torture, Koran desecration

10/17/2006: President Bush signed Military Commissions Act

10/3/2006: UK balked at US bid to return British Guantanamo detainees

9/6/2006: Bush confirmed existence of secret CIA prisons

6/29/2006: Supreme Court ruled military commissions illegal

6/11/2006: Military officials claimed Guantanamo detainees concealed suicides

6/10/2006: Three Guantanamo detainees died in apparent suicide pact

5/10/2006: UK Attorney General called for closure of Guantanamo Bay

4/21/2006: US announced release of 100 Guantanamo detainees

10/9/2005: Freed Egyptian detainee said Guantanamo torture put him in wheelchair

6/15/2005: Specter opened hearings on detainee rights

6/1/2005: Australian detainee claimed charges violate international law

10/27/2004: Amnesty International chided US over prisoner treatment

1/11/2002: First detainees arrived at Guantanamo Bay

THIS DAY @ LAW

UN General Assembly approves Palestine partition plan

The UN General Assembly approved UN Resolution Resolution 181 (II) on November 29, 1947, recommending that the British Mandate for Palestine be split into a Jewish state, an Arab state, and an international zone for Jerusalem. The vote in the assembly was 33 for to 13 against, with 10 abstentions. The resolution sparked a war between Palestinian Arabs and Jews in 1947 and a wider war after Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon invaded the new State of Israel in 1948. Read Resolution 181 (II).

UN divided Palestine between Arabs and Jews

On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly voted to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab territories, leading to the establishment of a Jewish state the following year. Read UN General Assembly Resolution 181.

Defense Secretary Robert McNamara resigns during Vietnam Conflict

On November 29, 1967, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced that he was resigning from his office to accept an appointment as head of the World Bank. The announcement came as the Vietnam Conflict was becoming increasingly unpopular in the United States and abroad.