Bush
Coalition of Clergy v. Bush
Opinion
Opinion
Matz, J.
ORDER DISMISSING PETITION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS AND FIRST AMENDED PETITION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS
I.
PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF RULING
This case results from the sudden attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians. Within a few days, the President, with the approval of Congress ( Pub.L. No. 107-40 (September 8, 2001)), commanded the Armed Forces of the United States to use all necessary and appropriate force against the persons responsible for those attacks, who soon came to be known as the “A1 Qaeda terrorist network.” The President dispatched American forces to Afghanistan, where that group was believed to be functioning with the active support of the “Taliban” government then in power in that country. In the course of combat operations, American forces, as well as other nations allied with the United States, captured or secured the surrender of thousands of persons. Beginning in early January 2002, the Armed Forces transferred scores of these captives to the United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (“Guantanamo”). Their confinement in Guantanamo led to this action.