IN RE: GUANTANAMO BAY DETAINEE LITIGATION

Filing 1711

RESPONSE re (1705 in 1:08-mc-00442-TFH) Joint MOTION to Continue Deadline For Filing Petitioners' Response to Government's Motion To Amend Protective Orders And Counsel Access Procedures filed by GEORGE W. BUSH, ROBERT GATES. (Berman, Julia)

IN RE: GUANTANAMO BAY DETAINEE LITIGATION

Doc. 1711

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ___________________________ ) IN RE: ) GUANTANAMO BAY ) DETAINEE LITIGATION ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

Misc. No. 08-442 (TFH) 02-cv-0828, 04-cv-1136, 04-cv-1164, 04-cv-1194, 04-cv-1254, 04-cv-1937, 04-cv-2022, 04-cv-2035, 04-cv-2046, 04-cv-2215, 05-cv-0023, 05-cv-0247, 05-cv-0270, 05-cv-0280, 05-cv-0329, 05-cv-0359, 05-cv-0392, 05-cv-0492, 05-cv-0520, 05-cv-0526, 05-cv-0569, 05-cv-0634, 05-cv-0748, 05-cv-0763, 05-cv-0764, 05-cv-0877, 05-cv-0883, 05-cv-0889, 05-cv-0892, 05-cv-0993, 05-cv-0994, 05-cv-0998, 05-cv-0999, 05-cv-1048, 05-cv-1189, 05-cv-1124, 05-cv-1220, 05-cv-1244, 05-cv-1347, 05-cv-1353, 05-cv-1429, 05-cv-1457, 05-cv-1458, 05-cv-1487, 05-cv-1490, 05-cv-1497, 05-cv-1504, 05-cv-1505, 05-cv-1506, 05-cv-1509, 05-cv-1555, 05-cv-1592, 05-cv-1601, 05-cv-1602, 05-cv-1607, 05-cv-1623, 05-cv-1638, 05-cv-1639, 05-cv-1645, 05-cv-1646, 05-cv-1678, 05-cv-1704, 05-cv-1971, 05-cv-1983, 05-cv-2010, 05-cv-2088, 05-cv-2104, 05-cv-2185, 05-cv-2186, 05-cv-2199, 05-cv-2249, 05-cv-2349, 05-cv-2367, 05-cv-2370, 05-cv-2371, 05-cv-2378, 05-cv-2379, 05-cv-2380, 05-cv-2381, 05-cv-2384, 05-cv-2385, 05-cv-2386, 05-cv-2387, 05-cv-2444, 05-cv-2479, 06-cv-0618, 06-cv-1668, 06-cv-1684, 06-cv-1690, 06-cv-1758, 06-cv-1759, 06-cv-1761, 06-cv-1765, 06-cv-1766, 06-cv-1767, 07-cv-1710, 07-cv-2337, 07-cv-2338, 08-cv-0987, 08-cv-1085, 08-cv-1101, 08-cv-1104, 08-cv-1153, 08-cv-1185, 08-cv-1207, 08-cv-1221, 08-cv-1223, 08-cv-1224, 08-cv-1227, 08-cv-1228, 08-cv-1229, 08-cv-1230, 08-cv-1231, 08-cv-1232, 08-cv-1233, 08-cv-1235, 08-cv-1236, 08-cv-1237, 08-cv-1238, 08-cv-1310, 08-cv-1360, 08-cv-1440, 08-cv-1733, 08-cv-1805, 08-cv-2083, 08-cv-1828, 08-cv-1923, 08-cv-2019, 09-cv-0031

RESPONDENTS' RESPONSE TO JOINT MOTION TO CONTINUE DEADLINE FOR FILING PETITIONERS' RESPONSE TO GOVERNMENT'S MOTION TO AMEND PROTECTIVE ORDERS AND COUNSEL ACCESS PROCEDURES

Dockets.Justia.com

Respondents do not oppose petitioners' Joint Motion to Continue Deadline for Filing Petitioners' Response to Government's Motion to Amend Protective Order and Counsel Access Procedures, Misc. No. 08-442, Mar. 24, 2009 (Dkt. No. 1705) ("Motion to Continue Deadline") on the condition that Petitioners do not invoke the provisions of the Court's Orders of January 15, 2009 and January 30, 2009 in the interim. Petitioners seek an additional 45 days in which to submit a joint response to the Government's Motion to Amend September 11, 2008 Protective Order and Counsel Access Procedures and January 9, 2009 Amended TS/SCI Protective Order and Counsel Access Procedures, Misc. No. 08-442, Mar. 11, 2009 (Dkt. No. 1684) ("Motion to Amend").1 For the reasons explained in the Motion to Amend and the declarations attached thereto, the regime established by the Court's Orders of January 15, 2009, Misc. No. 08-442, Jan. 15, 2009 (Dkt. No. 1521), and January 30, 2009, Misc. No. 08-442, Jan. 30, 2009 (Dkt. No. 1569) risks unauthorized disclosure of sensitive classified and law enforcement information to Guantanamo Bay detainees. While this regime is in place and petitioners' counsel continue to invoke its provisions to release information to detainees, this risk continues to exist. By delaying the Court's resolution of respondents' motion, the 45-day extension petitioners seek would effectively extend the period during which petitioners' counsel can seek such disclosures. While respondents do not have an objection to petitioners' request for additional time to submit a response to respondents' motion, petitioners' extension should not operate to expand the opportunity for the improper disclosures the Motion to Amend seeks to prevent in the first instance. Accordingly, if the Court grants As petitioners have indicated they intend to file a consolidated opposition to respondents' Motion to Amend, respondents will submit a single reply in support of the Motion to Amend, responding therein to the consolidated opposition, as well as any other oppositions to the Motion to Amend. -21

the requested extension, the Court should also stay the effect of its Orders of January 15, 2009 and January 30, 2009.

Dated: April 1, 2009

Respectfully submitted,

MICHAEL F. HERTZ Acting Assistant Attorney General TERRY M. HENRY Assistant Branch Director

/s/ Julia Berman ANDREW I. WARDEN PAUL E. AHERN JULIA A. BERMAN (D.C. Bar No. 986228) Attorneys United States Department of Justice Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch 20 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20530 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Email: [e-mail] Attorneys for Respondents

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