Judge Bars Pentagon Official From Guantanamo Prosecution

McClatchy Newspapers:

In a rebuke, a military judge has disqualified a key Pentagon general from any role overseeing the Guantánamo trial of Osama bin Laden's driver, saying he doubted the general's impartiality in the case.

The judge, Navy Capt. Keith Allred, ordered the Pentagon's general counsel to assign a new official to oversee the trial in place of Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas W.Hartmann, the Defense Department's legal adviser for military commissions.

The decision is a key one. In addition to overseeing the prosecution, Hartmann also had the power to decide how much would be spent on defense experts, travel and staff that might be need by Hamdan's four-attorney legal team, including a staff psychiatrist.

Read the whole story: McClatchy Newspapers

Comments

[RJC]

You know what.? If I had been sent to Gitmo, and I was a terrorist, and let go, I would return to fighting the US. You know what else, if I was not a terrorist, but completely innocent, and let go, I would probably join anyone fighting the US. I would fight anyone who unjuslty imprisoned me and denied me due process, that is what any red-blooded American would do, or anyone else. That is precisely the dillemma one faces when one acts unjustly, such as our government. I would say most of the people in GITMO have terrorist ties, but there are a few innocent people. One innocent person is too many without due process. One innocent person person rendered and tortured and killed anywhere in the world on our behalf is too many, if we are the country we profess to be. Or lets stop pretending, be honest and declare we are in fact as heinous as many others in the world. Then we don't have to keep justifying ourselves, everyone sees through the facade anyway. Our compromising our own proffessed principles has done more to support our enemies and eliminated our support around the world than anything the terrorists could ever have devised.

[lthuedk 1]

While they're at it, why not clean out every theobotic general in sight. They are a clear and present danger to our way of life and the global community. Let's see if the military can handle the job on their own...or if they need some encouragement.

Oh, and that includes General William Boykin, born again terrorist.

http://www.light-to-dark.com/abu_holo.html

[GravitonX]

Obama's going to end Guantanamo. Muy Pronto!

Viva Obama!

[SamEllison]

At first I thought of Col Morris as a hero, we have read of his story here before, but isn't it really just honor among torturers? If we could get clean convictions on these people they would have been convicted already. Just another can that the Bush/Cheney failures can kick down the road for the next POTUS.