Attorney for detainee wants charges dropped

[unhappycamper]

Attorney for detainee wants charges dropped
By Danica Coto - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jan 15, 2009 22:11:45 EST

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The attorney for a Guantanamo detainee accused of masterminding the USS Cole bombing has requested that charges be dropped following comments from a Pentagon official regarding torture.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Reyes said Thursday that it is likely the judge who oversees the military trials was not informed about his client’s treatment.

“It’s either deliberate ignorance, or they just don’t think what happened in CIA custody is relevant at all to these cases,” said Reyes, whose client is Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri.

Al-Nashiri could face the death penalty if found guilty on charges related to the 2000 attack on the Navy destroyer that killed 17 U.S. sailors in the Yemeni port of Aden. The Pentagon formally approved war crimes charges against him last month.

Reyes’ request came after Pentagon official Susan Crawford said she refused to refer charges against another detainee because she believes he was tortured.


Rest of article at: http://navytimes.com/news/2009/01/ap_detainee_petition_charges_011509w/%2e