The New York Times’ William Glaberson reports that one day after a federal district judge freed 17 Chinese Muslims detained at Guantanamo Bay, the Justice Dept. successfully sought an "administrative stay" that will keep the Uighar Muslims detained. The Justice Dept. has been highly energetic over the last two days arguing that the executive branch, not U.S. District Judge Richard M. Urbina, doesn’t have the power to release detainees of the "war on terror."

Yet all sides concede that the Uighars aren’t terrorists at all. The 17 men were caught doing weapons training in Afghanistan. Because they advocate independence from China, their native country might torture the Uighurs on returning.

Almost no other country will take the detainees out of fear of offending China. What’s the rationale for the U.S. not allowing these 17 people to seek asylum here?-MB

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