Editing Enemy combatant (section)

===Following the Supreme Court's ''Boumediene v. Bush'' ruling===

On February 20, 2009, the administration of President [[Barack Obama]] sided with the Bush administration's interpretation of law when they argued to bar access to civil courts sought by enemy combatants held at the [[Bagram Airfield]] in [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.star-telegram.com/190/story/1216322.html |title=Obama backs Bush: No rights for Bagram prisoners |publisher=[[Star Telegram]] |first1=Nedra |last1=Pickler |first2=Matt |last2=Apuzzo |date=February 20, 2009 |url-status=live  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240524082656/https://www.webcitation.org/5ekIXbEMp?url=http://www.star-telegram.com/190/story/1216322.html |archive-date=May 24, 2024 }}</ref>

During a hearing on October 23, 2008, [[US District Court Judge]] [[Richard J. Leon]] commented on the ambiguity of the term "enemy combatant".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/10/24/lawyers_debate_enemy_combatant/ |title=Lawyers debate 'enemy combatant' |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |first=Farah |last=Stockman |author-link=Farah Stockman |date=October 24, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081027091934/http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/10/24/lawyers_debate_enemy_combatant/ |archive-date=October 27, 2008}}</ref> [[Farah Stockman]], writing in ''[[The Boston Globe]]'', quoted Leon's remarks characterizing him as having ''"lashed out"'' at Congress and the Supreme Court for leaving the term undefined:
{{quote|We are here today, much to my dismay, I might add, to deal with a legal question that in my judgment should have been resolved a long time ago. I don't understand, I really don't, how the Supreme Court made the decision it made and left that question open. ... I don't understand how the Congress could let it go this long without resolving.}}

On October 27, 2008, Leon ruled that the definition of "enemy combatant" he would use was that set forth in the 2004 rules for [[Combatant Status Review Tribunal]]s.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/defining-a-wartime-enemy/ |title=Defining a wartime "enemy" |publisher=[[Scotusblog]] |first=Lyle |last=Denniston |author-link=Lyle Denniston |date=October 27, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081106214247/http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/defining-a-wartime-enemy/ |archive-date=November 6, 2008
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesleader.com/news/ap?articleID=986784  |title=Judge defines enemy combatant status for detainees  |publisher=[[Times Leader]] 
 |first=Lara Jakes |last=Jordan  |date=October 27, 2008 |url-status=live  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523075805/http://www.timesleader.com/news/ap?articleID=986784 |archive-date=May 23, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/boumediene-order-10-27-08.pdf  |title=Lakhdar Boumediene et al. v. George W. Bush et al. -- Civil Action No. 04-1166 (RJL): Memorandum Order  |publisher=[[United States Department of Justice]] |first=Richard J. |last=Leon |author-link=Richard J. Leon  |date=October 27, 2008 |url-status=live  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030050625/http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/boumediene-order-10-27-08.pdf  |archive-date=October 30, 2008}}</ref>
{{quote|"Enemy combatant" shall mean an individual who was part of or supporting Taliban or al Qaeda forces, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners. This includes any person who has committed belligerent act or has directly supported hostilities in aid of enemy armed forces.}}

Defense attorneys for [[Lakhdar Boumediene]] and his fellow [[Bosnians]] of [[Algerians]] descent were pleased with the definition because the DoD had long since dropped the allegation that they had plotted to attack the US Embassy in Sarajevo, and they felt that none of the remaining allegations met Leon's definition.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/28/judge-narrows-definition-of-gitmos-enemy-combatant/ |title=Judge narrows definition of Gitmo's 'enemy combatants'  |work=[[The Washington Times]] |date=October 27, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081101121225/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/28/judge-narrows-definition-of-gitmos-enemy-combatant/ |archive-date=November 1, 2008}}</ref>