Abu Ghraib dogs to be focus of Senate probe News
Abu Ghraib dogs to be focus of Senate probe

[JURIST] The US Senate Committee on Armed Services [official website] will investigate conflicting reports about the use of dogs in abusing detainees at the US military prison of Abu Ghraib [JURIST news archive]. Chairman Sen. John Warner (R-VA) [official website] said that the committee will look into disparate statements allegedly made by US Army Maj.-Gen. Geoffrey Miller [Wikipedia profile].

According to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) [official website], Miller confirmed using dogs for perimeter security, but he also discussed using dogs to elicit information from prisoners with former Guantanamo intelligence officer Col. Thomas Pappas, later named in the Taguba Report as "directly or indirectly responsible for the abuses at Abu Ghraib." Miller, who commanded the Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] prison until April 2004, invoked his right not to incriminate himself last month in refusing to testify in an upcoming court-martial case against two Army dog handlers. AAP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.