Here's your civics lesson for the day:
So, Army Col. Peter Brownback was one of the judges presiding over detainees' cases at Guantanamo Bay. He was the judge in the case of Omar Khadr, a Canadian citizen who was captured at age 15 in Afghanistan and accused of throwing a grenade that killed a Special Forces soldier. Khadr has been on schedule to be the first Gitmo defendant to go to trial.
Last year, Brownback tossed the charges against Khadr for lack of jurisdiction. He said, on the record, that the Department of Defense was displeased with his ruling, which was eventually overturned on appeal.
Under pressure to set a trial date, Brownback told prosecutors they first had to turn over evidence to the defense. Such as records of Khadr's treatment at Gitmo. Which, for some reason, they don't want the defense to have.
On Thursday, Brownback was fired, presumably so that a more pliant judge can be substituted: "Chief judge for the Guantanamo tribunals, Marine Col. Ralph Kohlmann, dismissed Brownback and appointed a new judge for Khadr's case without explanation."
The rush to set a trial date is due to an election coming up. These trials are showpieces designed to fire up the moron base of the Republican Party. And you can count on McCain being all in favor of them and accusing Obama of being weak on defending America if he disagrees.
(Via Lizard Breath at Unfogged.)
Speaking of Gitmo, are you going to this:
http://celltour.amnesty.org/2008/05/30/philadelphia-cell-tour-%e2%80%93-day-1/
Posted by: Roxanne | May 31, 2008 at 06:09 AM
I'm registering voters today until the storm rolls in. Maybe tomorrow. The site doesn't say where to find it, just where it has been.
Posted by: Mithras | May 31, 2008 at 08:14 AM