Supreme Court rules on detainees’ rights

From the AP:

High Court: Gitmo detainees have rights in court

By MARK SHERMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay have rights under the Constitution to challenge their detention in U.S. civilian courts.

The justices, in a 5-4 ruling Thursday, handed the Bush administration its third setback at the high court since 2004 over its treatment of prisoners who are being held indefinitely and without charges at the U.S. naval base in Cuba.

It was not immediately clear whether this ruling, unlike the first two, would lead to prompt hearings for the detainees, some of whom have been held more than 6 years. Roughly 270 men remain at the island prison, classified as enemy combatants and held on suspicion of terrorism or links to al-Qaida and the Taliban.

Wingnut heads asplode in 3… 2… 1…

Good on the Supremes. What the whackaloon righties do not understand — what they are intellectually and morally incapable of understanding — is that a system that suspends the rights of some is perfectly capable of suspending the rights of all. The Supreme Court has struck a mighty blow today for the rights of all Americans.

UPDATE 06/12/08 11:28 AM EDT: Read the full decision [PDF].