It must be a Friday afternoon . . . .

. . . . because we have some interesting news out of the Bush Administration.

Today, the Defense Department announced the transfer of an al-Qaeda suspect, Muhammad Rahim, from the C.I.A. to U.S. military custody at Guantanamo Bay prison. Press reports indicate that Rahim was arrested months ago in Lahore, Pakistan. If this is true, where has he been since he was arrested? Pakistani jails? In the C.I.A.’s interrogation program? Was he subjected to any of the “enhanced” interrogation techniques which the U.S. Congress recently voted to ban?

If the description of Rahim provided by Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman is correct, Rahim seems overdue to face justice. Unfortunately, given the sorry state of the Guantanamo military commissions which have so far only managed to settle a sole case — by plea bargain — we shouldn’t expect justice to be coming any time soon.