We already knew that the US military is holding hundreds of prisoners in some sort of weasel-worded legal limbo at Camp X-Ray or Camp Delta or whatever they’re calling it now. We already knew that they’re setting up a fake legal system there, complete with military judges, military prosecutors, and military-appointed defense lawyers. Of course, the accused will also have full access to independent lawyers, as long as they can pay for them themselves. Oh, and the independent lawyers will not be able to see any classified information, which includes all the evidence. We even already knew that work has started on execution chambers there. I guess the military is feeling pretty confident that they’ll be “winning” (whatever that means) lots of cases.

What is new (at least to me) in this article is this: (emphasis mine)

The Pentagon officials also raised the possibility that the military might continue to hold the suspects even if they are acquitted by a tribunal. The prisoners’ status as “unlawful combatants” in the war against terrorism is separate from their guilt or innocence on charges brought before a tribunal, a military official involved in the tribunal process said.

(via dangerousmeta!)