Thanks to all of you who have signed up as members, who have protested in Adel Hamad’s name, or who have helped to spread word of his story. People have risen to the occasion, and we appreciate that very much.

We wanted to let you know that lawyers for Adel Hamad recently received word that he is on a list of those who have been approved to leave Guantanamo. While this is great news, and we remain very hopeful that he will soon be home in Sudan with his family, there is reason to continue following his case very closely. For one thing, there’s indication he’s been on this list for up to a year or more, and it hasn’t yet resulted in his release. Other factors to pay attention to are whether the United States will reverse his “Enemy Combatant” status upon his release, and whether or not he will encounter further hassles or detention with the Sudanese government. Finally, the conditions that allowed Adel Hamad’s indefinite detention are still in place: the Military Commissions Act of 2006 continues to deny basic habeas corpus rights to detainees of the U.S. government, preventing access to the federal courts, and access to proper counsel.

For more detailed information, visit our blog:

http://projecthamad.org/blog/

Please write letters indicating your desire to see Adel Hamad released home to his family with his enemy combatant status reversed (addresses below). It’s important to remind officials that we are watching the process and keeping an eye on the fate of Mr. Hamad, and others like him who have been held for years without cause.

Thanks again for your participation in the project.

Cheers,
Laura, Ben & David

The following are addresses you can write letters to:

Navy Rear Adm. Harry B. Harris
Commander Joint Task Force Guantánamo
Department of Defense
Joint Task Force Guantánamo
Guantánamo Bay, Cuba
APO AE 09360
Fax: +1 305 437 1241
Email: harrishb@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil
Salutation: Dear Rear Admiral

Brigadier General Cameron Crawford
Deputy Commander United States Southern Command
3511 NW 91st Ave., Miami, FL, 33172-1217
USA
Fax: +1 305 437 1077
Salutation: Dear Brigadier General
Email via: http://www.southcom.mil/home/

The Honorable Robert M. Gates
Secretary of Defence
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington DC 20301, USA
Fax: + 1 703 697 8339
Email via: http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/comment.asp
Salutation: Dear Secretary of Defense