Word: courting
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...same memos, the Justice Department did note that forced sleep deprivation, when used in conjunction with other techniques, had been called torture in the past, both by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (in a lawsuit about human-rights violations in the Philippines) and the U.N., on multiple occasions. Nonetheless, the Justice Department memos concluded that the use of prolonged sleep deprivation "cannot be expected to cause 'severe mental pain or suffering,' " as defined by U.S. criminal...
Since then, however, the civil-liberties community has started to wonder if its celebration was premature. Though most still remain cautiously optimistic about the White House's leanings, they have watched with concern as the Obama Administration has filed papers in several court cases suggesting that it will side with the Bush Administration on key issues dealing with terror detainees, warrantless wiretapping and national security secrets. (Read "Taking the Bush Anti-Terror Legacy to Court...
...provisions of the controversial Patriot Act are set to expire at the end of this year, dealing with the government's ability to monitor the movements of so-called "lone wolves" (suspects who are not tied to a particular organization), handle roving wiretaps and obtain records with minimum court supervision. Congressional Democrats are also likely to push for a review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's use of so-called "national security letters," which allow the bureau to get information from private organizations without court supervision. And there is mounting concern about the National Security Agency...
With so many issues coming down the pike, activists say they continue to hold out hope that the recent Obama positions in court cases will prove to be an aberration that has more to do with courtroom maneuvering than governing philosophy. "That is my optimistic view," explains Frederickson of the ACLU. "And it could be proved wrong...
Second, Jacob Zuma will be a controversial inheritor of Mandela's legacy. He faced charges of corruption for years in a case that was dropped in early April but may yet be revived. He was also once accused of rape, though acquitted after a high-profile court case. And whereas Mandela urged high-minded reconciliation and forgiveness in power, Zuma's appeal is populist and his supporters are regularly accused of inciting animosity or interfering in the institutions of state for their own political purposes. This all fits the pattern of a party whose moral authority has rapidly declined...