Internment

The word internment is generally used to refer to the imprisonment or confinement of people, generally in prison camps or prisons, without due process of law and a trial. It also refers to the practice of neutral countries in time of war to hold belligerent armed forces and equipment which enter their territory, under the Second Hague Convention.

United States

In reaction to the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan in 1941, United States Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942 allowed military commanders to designate areas "from which any or all persons may be excluded." Under this order all Japanese and Americans of Japanese ancestry were removed from Western coastal regions to guarded camps in Arkansas, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona; German and Italian citizens, permanent residents, and American citizens of those respective ancestories (and American citizen family members) were removed from (among other places) the West and East Coast and relocated or interned, and roughly one-third of the US was declared an exclusionary zone.

Related Topics:
Pearl Harbor - Japan - 1941 - United States - Executive Order 9066 - February 19 - 1942 - Americans of Japanese ancestry - Arkansas - Oregon - Washington - Wyoming - Colorado - Arizona - German - Italian - East Coast

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Almost 120,000 Japanese Americans and resident Japanese aliens would eventually be removed from their homes as part of the single largest forced relocation in U.S. history.

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:See: Japanese internment in the United States

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Following the September 11, 2001 attacks at least 2 US citizens, José Padilla and another, have been detained without charge, trial or prisoner of war status by order of the President as "enemy combatants", without Congress passing a statute allowing internment.

Related Topics:
September 11, 2001 attacks - José Padilla - Prisoner of war - President - Congress - Statute

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Hundreds of detainees are also imprisoned at US Camp Delta at Guantanamo Bay on the island of Cuba. They have all been denied prisoner of war status and most have yet to be charged with a crime. Human Rights Watch says they must legally be treated as prisoners of war since an independent tribunal has not ruled that any of them are unlawful combatants on an individual basis. Those who have been charged face Military Commissions (rather than courts-martial or civilian federal courts) and this has been condemned by many as unfair.

Related Topics:
Camp Delta - Guantanamo Bay - Human Rights Watch - Courts-martial - Civilian

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The majority of the detainees are suspected Afghan soldiers and Al Qaeda militants captured by US troops in Afghanistan. However, several were kidnapped or illicitly transferred from other countries with which the US is not at war. A British national was captured by the CIA in Pakistan, apparently with the collusion of security forces. His transfer was a violation of Pakistani law because he was not extradited. Several men were allegedly abducted by the CIA in Bosnia after a Human Rights Court (which had been set up with US help in the aftermath of ethnic cleansing and war) ruled that the Americans must release them.

Related Topics:
Afghan - Al Qaeda - Kidnap - CIA - Pakistan - Extradite

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