October 28, 2014, Family reunion (after 9-11 changed everything)
Candace let me know that her client Abdul al-Ghizzawi has finally been reunited (after thirteen years) with his wife and daughter (the latter, whom he last saw as an infant) since American policy ripped them apart, and then arbitrarily kept him at Guantanamo Bay until 2010 (he was released then to the Republic of Georgia, and made his way home to post-Qaddaffi Libya last year).
Interestingly, al-Ghizzawi notified Candace of the happy news (and Candace forwarded to me) two days ago-- on my 52nd birthday; I accepted it as a birthday gift from providence, just as I once accepted a postcard from al-Ghizzawi (forwarded via Candace and "the secure facility," the postcard, one of the few "comfort items" provided to him by the Red Cross, was also one of the few things he could enjoy presenting as a gift to those he believed were helpful to him, or who had otherwise shown him kindness).
In less happy news, the petition for certiorari review to the U.S. Supreme Court for Candace's other GTMO client, Razak Ali, has been denied (unsurprisingly, but still disappointingly).
As Candace's late great friend Studs Turkel used to say, "hope dies last." But, I'm afraid, it's not necessarily immortal.