The FBI has added former Black Panther and former member of the Black Liberation Army, Assata Shakur, to its “most wanted terrorist” list. The decision is political and clearly aimed at the Cuban government, which granted political asylum to her after she escaped from prison in 1979. It also is an escalation of the government’s demonization of her for continuing to openly espouse radical political views, while in exile outside of the United States.

A motley crew of Senate Republicans, joined by Sen. Lieberman, have introduced a bill to make Guantanamo a permanent “terrorist” prison. Once upon a time, this could have been dismissed as GOP posturing. But recent events suggest this is more likely a harbinger of the future fate of the US Naval prison, as President Obama has already pronounced that he will support indefinite detention of prisoners based on unchallenged U.S. executive fiat.