Lord of the Rings fan Omar Khadr, who has been spending the past couple years in a cell at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been denied various papers from his legal representative because they include a copy of the movie script. While this is apparently a violation of a prohibition of prisoners - excuse me, detainees receiving anything other than papers relating to their legal case, Christopher Bird of the Torontoist quips:

“…officials reportedly worried that allowing Khadr to learn the precise location of Lothlorien would constitute an unacceptable security violation in light of U.S. treaties with the Elves.”

Sadly, that actually makes sense, when viewed in the context of contemporary American foreign policy. I wonder how Hillary Clinton feels about the Shire receiving most-favored-nation status? Just in case, here’s hoping none of her advisers helped campaign on behalf of the hobbits, eh?

This week, for our Friday FOIA Fun, three quick, or not-so-quick, musings on the Freedom of Information Act and it’s use in actual real-world practice, as it were. This distinction is important, because how the Act works on paper often bears no semblance to how it works - or fails to work - in reality.
Read the rest of this entry »