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John Amick | June 26, 2008, 10:40AM

Circumstances should be looking up for Gitmo detainee Huzaifa Parhat: A recent Supreme Court ruling allows detainees at Guantanamo Bay the right to challenge their imprisonment, and an appeals court ruled Parhat was never an "enemy combatant" in the first place and was illegally detained. But despite the apparent good news, Parhat's lawyer says "I'm not allowed to tell him" of his impending freedom. (Think Progress)

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq are responsible for more U.S.-troop deaths than any other weapon. Since 2003, the Pentagon has spent $10 billion devising ways to disarm them. Though IED attacks are down by 88 percent since May, bureaucratic logjams have caused obstacles to a surefire solution. (Politico)

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) is taking fire from John McCain for a provision in the 2008 emergency supplemental that appears to be the result of Air Force lobbying. The provision would give a military service secretary or the head of another federal agency the right to veto or postpone a money-saving initiative that would require branches of the military to consolidate. An internal investigation of the Air Force has been requested. (The Hill)

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John Amick | June 25, 2008, 11:00AM

A report by the Government Accountability Office says that more than $2 billion given to Pakistan by the U.S. government to fund counterterrorism efforts may not have been used for its intended purpose. U.S.-funded army roads and bunkers may never have even been built, with the millions of U.S. dollars going to unknown uses. (Washington Post)

A U.S. Army officer, Maj. John Cockerham, and his wife, Melissa Cockerham, pleaded guilty to a money laundering scheme involving contracts in Iraq. Maj. Cockerham, who was responsible for awarding contracts worth millions of dollars, admitted to taking or being promised over 9 million dollars in bribes for contracts while in Kuwait. (Associated Press)

The Attorney General's office in Illinois is planning to file a civil suit Wednesday against mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp and its chief executive Angelo Mozilo after an investigation which began last fall. The Attorney General's office claims that Countrywide engaged in "unfair and deceptive practices" in the sale of their mortgage loans to homeowners. (Wall Street Journal)

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John Amick | June 24, 2008, 10:18AM

The first of a possible 160 court reviews of detainees at Guantanamo Bay resulted in the termination of the case against Chinese Muslim Huzaifa Parhat. The Justice Department conceded the case, saying there was no evidence that he ever fought against the U.S., or had plans to do so. (Associated Press)

Though women make up only 14 percent of U.S. Army personnel, 46 percent of Army discharges due to the military's policy of prohibiting openly gay citizens from serving were female. (New York Times)

The first convicted contract worker employed in Iraq was sentenced to five months of confinement for stabbing a fellow translator. Alaa "Alex" Mohammed Ali, an Iraqi Canadian citizen, pleaded guilty to stealing a soldier's knife, assaulting his colleague and wrongfully disposing of evidence. (LA Times)

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John Amick | June 23, 2008, 10:37AM

Amid pressure from Congress and an oversight panel, the U.S. Army is in the process of restructuring its methods of contracting work in Iraq. The Army asked for further support from the White House, requesting clearance to bring on five active-duty generals to oversee contracts. But the White House has initially nixed the idea. (Associated Press)

Chinese hackers infiltrated the computers of three more members of Congress, as well as computers belonging to the Foreign Affairs Committee. Data on each computer was erased, as the members said they believe their stance on human rights in China was the reason for the attacks. (The Hill)

The battle between the White House and the House Judiciary Committee over whether current chief of staff Josh Bolten and former counsel Harriet Miers must provide evidence in a House investigation, will continue in court. Documents and testimony are being demanded in regards to their involvement in the firing of U.S. attorneys. (Associated Press)

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