Bush noncommittal on Guantanamo shutdown News
Bush noncommittal on Guantanamo shutdown

[JURIST] When asked about the fate of the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay during a Fox News interview [transcript] Wednesday, President Bush insisted that all prisoners there are being treated in accordance with international standards, but did say that the government was "exploring all alternatives" regarding its future. The administration has come under increasing pressure from human rights groups, including Amnesty International, to shut down the facility, which a recent Amnesty report [JURIST report] called a "gulag" in reference to the notorious forced labor camps of the Soviet era. Earlier this week, former President Jimmy Carter and Senator Joseph Biden [JURIST report] called on President Bush to close Guantanamo, and US House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi has since joined the chorus. Reuters 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.