Holy crap! A Colonel in charge of a questionably legal military Tribunal (part of an untested set of Presidential directives and legal weaseling that has already taken a beating in the courts) has decided to publicly tell his Commander in Chief to fuck off? On a matter of public policy? With no legal leg to stand on? In the face of a Presidential Order?
If I were Obama, I would have that Colonel dismissed from duty on the spot. I am surprised and annoyed that the judge's commanding officer didn't do it first.
Sure. He would probably be in high demand in many parts of the world. I've heard Somalia has lovely beaches, and Sudan... well, Sudan gets lots of sun.
If he wants to work on contract, I don't know if Blackwater will be hiring just now, but I'm sure one of the other merc outfits will need some people with experience in Human Rights violations.
Oh! And I totally missed the apropos opportunity to make a "You can't handle the truth!" joke.
The argument that the prisoner has a right to a speedy trial might hold more weight if the judge had previously given him a right to counsel, a right to see the evidence against him, a right to mount a defense, or a right to civilised treatment while awaiting trial.
I guess the whole "Commander in Chief" thing is a bit vague. If he's a military judge, then trying to justify this under a seperation of powers argument wouldn't seem to be valid.
The whole point of these farcical Military Tribunal charades was to take them OUTSIDE the framework of traditional legal proceeding with those annoying technicalities like due process and so on. This man is insubordinate.
I'd be more sympathetic to the "speedy trial" argument if so many of the "trials" at Gitmo hadn't been hanging fire for seven years.
-- Steve's even ignoring the "fair trial", "facing his accusers", and "without cruel and unusual punishment" bits that usually are supposed to go along with an actually principled "law and order" stance.
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-29 11:54 pm (UTC)If I were Obama, I would have that Colonel dismissed from duty on the spot. I am surprised and annoyed that the judge's commanding officer didn't do it first.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-30 12:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-30 12:37 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-30 12:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-30 12:45 am (UTC)If he wants to work on contract, I don't know if Blackwater will be hiring just now, but I'm sure one of the other merc outfits will need some people with experience in Human Rights violations.
Oh! And I totally missed the apropos opportunity to make a "You can't handle the truth!" joke.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-30 01:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-30 02:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-30 03:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-30 03:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-30 02:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-30 02:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-30 02:53 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-30 03:55 pm (UTC)-- Steve's even ignoring the "fair trial", "facing his accusers", and "without cruel and unusual punishment" bits that usually are supposed to go along with an actually principled "law and order" stance.