Rumsfeld says no plans to close Guantanamo News
Rumsfeld says no plans to close Guantanamo

[JURIST] Despite increasing pressure to close the US military prison [JURIST report] for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld [official profile] said Thursday that the government did not have any plans to shut down the facility any time soon. Rumsfeld told a NATO news conference [MP3 audio] that the move to close Guantanamo Bay would raise many more questions, including what would become of the prisoners housed there. In a FOX News interview Wednesday, President Bush addressed the closing of Guantanamo Bay [JURIST report] and said that the government was "exploring all alternatives" for the future. Other Pentagon officials have also said that the detention center will not be closing. 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.