Final French Gitmo detainees tranferred News
Final French Gitmo detainees tranferred

[JURIST] The US Department of Defense Monday confirmed the release and transfer to France of three French detainees in Guantanamo Bay to France "for prosecution". Mustaq Ali Patel, Ridouane Khalid and Khaled Ben Mustafa were the last three French detainees held at Gitmo following the release of four other French suspects last July. The former detainees are currently being held by the Direction de la surveillance du territoire [official government website in French], France's counterterrorism agency. They were originally apprehended during US operations against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Including this transfer, the total number of released Gitmo detainees has risen to 211. Read the official US Department of Defense press release on the handovers. AP has more. France 2 has local coverage in French. JURIST's Paper Chase has background on the Guantanamo Bay detentions.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.