Bush assassination plot suspect allegedly tortured by Saudis News
Bush assassination plot suspect allegedly tortured by Saudis

[JURIST] According to a court filing by his attorneys, Ahmed Omar Abu Ali [Wikipedia profile], a Virginia man accused of conspiring to assassinate President Bush and supporting al-Qaida [JURIST report], was tortured while in Saudi custody. Defense attorneys cited the conclusions of two doctors who examined Abu Ali and found that two years of physical and psychological abuse overcame his will and caused him to make false statements to interrogators. The court filings contain no details of the doctors' examinations of Abu Ali and federal prosecutors maintain that he was not tortured while in Saudi hands. AP has more.

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.