He says he wants to close Guantanamo.....

But his justice department continues to fight the release of one man that has long been cleared for release.. Ba Odah... a man who has been on a hunger strike for 8 years. Yes 8 years. He now weighs 75 pounds and by all accounts (except of course the military's account) he is in dire health. Last week Ba Odah's attorneys argued before Federal Judge Hogan for an independant medical exam. Judge Hogan did what he is good at...punted.

Read more here and here.

Oh and just in case it is not crazy enough to try to represent someone who is facing the death penalty without being able to share the evidence with your client think about this: It seems the military judge- the head military judge over the military commissions for Guantanamo- also was not aware until this past week about "a secret pentagon program" relating to the men being tried in the military commission.  "It’s cryptically called an “Alternative Compensatory Control Measure,” ACCM — " 

whatever the hell that means. Read this and if you can figure out anything let me know!!

Military Commissions latest foible

It seems that one of the men being charged in the illicit military commissions might want to represent himself. In theory that should not be a problem but of course that is "in theory." The problem with one of these men representing himself is the same problem that attorneys representing these men have- the attorneys have looked at evidence that they cannot share with their clients--because the evidence is classified. It is the same problem that all of us who represent men at Guantanamo have but at least most of us were not confronted with the reality of our clients facing execution. The men being charged at the military commission face a death sentence and yet their attorneys cannot discuss certain evidence with them because it is "classified." This is truly a fucked up system that should not be allowed.
But getting back to the man who wants to represents himself-- this is doubly fucked up because he will not be allowed to see crucial evidence against him-- again, because that evidence is classified. I mean WTF-- he is allowed "in theory" to represent himself but of course he will lose because he won't know things that everyone else in the room will know.

I am linking some articles about this shit show here and here and here and here.