Khalid El-Masri

The conduct of the US government never ceases to reach new lows while the courts demonstrate that they can spread even more atrocities through their decisions. At this point, state secrets is obviously an excuse and a pretty poor one at that, but one that works because the people have absolutely no defense against it.

This is an unfortunate story, but demonstrates two basic principles of law:

1) American federal courts are domestic institutions and will avoid exercising jurisdiction in a way that causes them to sit in judgment of the government's military and security activities abroad. The forum for contesting the government's actions abroad are the political ones, not the courthouse.

2) The idea of "human rights" and a Court of Human Rights that cannot be back its judgments up with enforcement is a farce.