Justinian in Guantanamo, International law,
Military Commissions, Roger Fitch Esq, US Supreme Court
At Guantánamo,
the government has once again shown it can't
be trusted to play nice at the innately unfair military
commissions and the Convening Authority has
resigned under pressure after adverse court rulings.
Defence lawyers have
already had to contend with FBI listening devices planted in smoke detectors of
client interview rooms; government interference with and attempted
co-option of a defence team member; and even real-time censoring of court proceedings
by unidentified spooks.
Now, an interpreter
offered to the counsel for the "9/11" accused has been recognised by
the defendants as an
alumnus of the CIA team at their torture black site.
Confronted by the
judge, the Pentagon
readily admitted the interpreter was a CIA asset, but wouldn't say
where. The case is proceeding without him.
There was some good
news. The Kafkaesque gag order, which had prevented the defendants and their
counsel from even talking about their black site and other torture by the CIA,
has been partially lifted.
One of the first
prisoners to benefit will be the 9/11 defendant Mustafa Hawsawi, now
free to discuss being - uh - sodomised by the CIA (see
December post).
Marty
Lederman is optimistic things are improving. More here.
Read the rest of Roger Fitch's report here.
Posts
