Monday, December 3, 2007

Child Soldier to be Tried Without Knowing Who His Accusers Are

According to the New York Times, Omar Ahmed Khadr, who was 15 when he was brought to Guantánamo, will not have the benefit of knowing who his accusers are. Military Prosecutors claim that there may be retaliations against the witnesses if their names are released. In an e-mail message on Oct. 9, Major Groharing, the prosecutor, described Mr. Khadr as a “trained Al Qaeda operative” who is “certainly capable of exacting revenge” on witnesses should he ever be free.

The government has been holding the detainee for almost a quarter of his life without a trial. Now when he is finally about to get his day in kangaroo court he is told that he will not be able to know who his accusers are or what methods the court has made to ensure the validity of the evidence being used against him. Where is justice? How long will this administration continue to try to destroy the basic tenets of our legal system?

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