Judge bans general from Guantánamo trial role

[DogPoundPup]

Source: Miami Herald

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVY BASE, Cuba — For a second time, a military judge Thursday barred a U.S. general at the Pentagon from acting as a legal advisor in the trial of an accused terrorist at the Guantanamo war court.

Moreover, Judge Stephen Henley ordered a new top-level review of the charges against Mohammed Jawad, about 23, who is accused of attempted murder for allegedly throwing a grenade as a teen that wounded two U.S. soldiers and their translator in a bazaar in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Brig. Gen. Thomas Hartmann's aggressive advocacy of the trials by military commission — in the media and other public statements — ''compromised the objectivity necessary to dispassionately and fairly evaluate the evidence and prepare the post-trial evaluation,'' Henley ruled.

Defense attorneys had argued that Hartmann had become so preoccupied with the prosecution's side of the war crimes court — and the Jawad case in particular — that he pressured prosecutors to charge him.

Henely ruled that while case prosecutors swore out the charges properly, Hartmann could not serve as a ''neutral'' advisor on the case, once brought to trial.

''The judge found that in the interests of justice Gen. Hartmann is disqualified from further action in this case,'' said Air Force Maj. Gail Crawford, a military attorney serving as spokeswoman for the trials.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/guantanamo/story/642000.html

[Piewhacket]

1. Heroism in the military....

is not limited to acts on the battlefield.

[dipsydoodle]

2. BBC link

A military judge has barred a US general from the second war crimes trial at Guantanamo Bay.

The judge, Col Steve Henley, ruled that Air Force Brig Gen Thomas Hartmann, legal adviser to the tribunal, had compromised his objectivity.

Brig Gen Hartmann allegedly "pushed" for Mr Jawad to be charged because of the "gripping" details of his case.

However, moves to dismiss the charges in the trial against Afghan detainee Mohammed Jawad were rejected.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7562205.stm

[Cherchez la Femme]

3. This needs one more K & R

to make it to the GP

[Beam Me Up]

4. :-)

[Cherchez la Femme]

6. yer the greatest

too! :D :yourock: :woohoo: :applause:

[unhappycamper]

5. Brig. gen. removed from 2nd Gitmo trial

Source: Air Force Times / Associated Press

Brig. gen. removed from 2nd Gitmo trial
By Mike Melia - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 14, 2008 13:04:16 EDT

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba — A military judge on Thursday barred a Pentagon official from taking part in a second war crimes trial at Guantanamo Bay, providing more ammunition for detainee lawyers who allege that political interference taints the proceedings.

The ruling will fuel defense challenges in other trials at the U.S. Navy base, where a former chief prosecutor and defense lawyers have accused Air Force Brig Gen. Thomas Hartmann, the legal adviser to the tribunals, of demanding that certain cases be pursued over others based on political considerations.

Judge and Army Col. Steve Hanley ruled that Hartmann compromised his objectivity in public statements aligning himself with prosecutors and defending the Pentagon’s system for prosecuting alleged terrorists.

Hartmann, who was also barred from the first Guantanamo war crimes trial, will not be allowed to provide further advice in the case against an Afghan detainee. But the judge rejected a defense to dismiss war crimes charges against Mohammed Jawad.

Read more: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/08/ap_hartmannguantanamo_081408/

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In case above link does not work: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/08/ap_hartmannguantanamo_081408/

[Supersedeas]

7. barely a flicker of American ideals remain -- yet still there is a flicker