Former military officials, leaders back detainees

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two dozen retired diplomats, two rear admirals and a Marine general joined 383 current or former members of the European and British parliaments on Friday in urging the Supreme Court to grant detainees at Guantanamo Bay full access to the U.S. court system.

Lower court rulings supporting the Bush administration’s opposition to full court access “were seized upon by repressive governments as a license to incarcerate their own citizens and others with impunity,” wrote the 25 retired American diplomats in one court filing.

In June, the Supreme Court agreed to take the detainees’ case, reversing a decision in April not to hear arguments over whether the prisoners can use federal courts to challenge their confinement. Court filings by the Bush administration in the case are due Oct. 9.