In the last month or so a flurry of developments have occurred with respect to persons detained in Guant?namo Bay, Cuba since early 2002, when the U.S. accused them of being "enemy combatants" and claimed it was not required to formally charge them or permit them to see counsel. The U.S. government has claimed security concerns required their being held incommunicado. Since the three decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court in late June, several dozen detainees have filed suit in U.S. District Court in Washington, demanding hearings.

Since the Supreme Court decisions on June 28, 2004, attorneys for the detainees and government have fought over the procedures regarding which attorneys could visit their clients, whether the conversations would be monitored and whether each detainee would be allowed more than one visit. Meanwhile the government has started to hold detention hearings and proceeded with trials of four detainees...[more]