ABRAHAM TESTIFIES

PANEL I OF A HEARING OF THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
· SUBJECT: UPHOLDING THE PRINCIPLE OF HABEAS CORPUS FOR DETAINEES
· WITNESSES: STEPHEN OLESKEY, PARTNER AT WILMER, CUTLER, PICKERING, HALE AND DORR LLP; DAVID KEENE, CHAIRMAN OF THE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION; PATRICK PHILBIN, FORMER ASSOCIATE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT; LT. COL. STEPHEN ABRAHAM, UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVES;
· CHAIRED BY: REP. IKE SKELTON (D-MO)

Read the entire transcript here:

http://gtmodocuments.blogspot.com/2007/07/abraham-testimony.html


Read it all... but here is an excerpt from Lt. Col. Stephen Abraham regarding Mr. Al Ghizzawi's CSRT. Abraham sat on the original panel that found Mr. Al-Ghizzawi to NOT BE AN ENEMY COMBATANT:

"But where it specifically came to bear was when I sat on a CSRT and I looked at the very same kind of evidence, so to speak, that I had seen for months. And not only I, but the other members of the panel said, this is garbage.
And as a matter of fact, when we looked at direct statements that came from interrogators, where they said, our conclusion as to the facts is that this individual was involved in activities. And we said, 1) that's not even a rational conclusion that you could reach, but 2) we have no reason for presuming the validity of that. We were told, you have to accept that as true. The presumption is, it is true, it is valid.
And when we asked questions, we were told more time should be allowed for them to get the answers. And the answers didn't come -- and we concluded that the individual was not an enemy-combatant -- we were told, keep the hearings open so that they can come back. We were told, reconsider when there's other evidence. "

Poor Mr. Al-Ghizzawi. Six years in hell and dying. ..But thank you Col. Abraham and the rest of Panel 23 for doing the right thing in his initial CSRT... and thank you Col. Abraham for stepping forward and telling the world that the evidence against Mr. Al-Ghizzawi was garbage.