Saturday, October 06, 2007

War-Crimes Prosecutor Quits in Pentagon Clash

The New York Times reports War-Crimes Prosecutor Quits in Pentagon Clash "In the latest disruption of the Bush administration’s plan to try detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for war crimes, the chief military prosecutor on the project stepped down yesterday after a dispute with a Pentagon official." All we really know is the prosecutor, Col. Morris D. Davis of the Air Force is resigning and is ordered not to discuss the reasons why.

"Colonel Davis filed a complaint against General Hartmann with Pentagon officials this fall saying that the general had exceeded his authority and created a conflict of interest by asserting control over the prosecutor’s office. Colonel Davis said it would be improper for General Hartmann to assess the adequacy of cases filed by prosecutors if the general had been involved in the decision to file those cases. In a statement last week, Colonel Davis said the issue posed a threat to the integrity of the war-crimes process. “For the greater good, Brigadier General Hartmann and I should both resign and walk away or higher authority should relieve us of our duties,” the statement said."

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