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Guantanamo Hearings Delayed as Legal Files Vanish

Posted by samzenpus on from the sieve-security dept.

houghi writes "The defense lawyers of Guantanamo prisoners have been ordered to stop using government computers for sensitive information due to security and confidentiality concerns. One News from New Zealand says 'In another case, system administrators were searching files at prosecutors' request and were able to access more than 500,000 defense files, including confidential attorney-client communications.' Due to all this, hearings were postponed."

6 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. What kind of moronic "defense" lawyer... by quonsar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...would use government (prosecution) computers in the first place????

    --

    Sacred cows make the best burgers.

    1. Re:What kind of moronic "defense" lawyer... by NettiWelho · · Score: 5, Funny

      The ones that think that the united states is the land of the free and home of the brave, not another iteration of category ("USSR, Nazi-Germany, Cuba, North Korea, DDR")

    2. Re:What kind of moronic "defense" lawyer... by wagonlips · · Score: 5, Informative

      You haven't really been following this story, have you?

      The defense attorneys aren't military and some of them are quite outspoken against their client's treatment.

      Not only the defense lawyers... http://harpers.org/blog/2008/02/the-great-guantanamo-puppet-theater/

      "Davis submitted his resignation on October 4, 2007..."

      "Colonel Davis is not just any JAG officer. He was an up-and-comer widely viewed in his peer group as someone in line for a star, and ultimately perhaps, to be the Air Force’s Judge Advocate General. He is also no whining civil libertarian, but rather a no-nonsense conservative, whose prior scraps with civilians in the Pentagon came over the restraints they put on his ability to charge forward and prosecute cases."

    3. Re:What kind of moronic "defense" lawyer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Much like the people IN Guantanamo, you're assuming that they were given a choice in the first place. They weren't. The US decided to imprison them indefinitely without a trial, what made you think that they'd start playing fair if a trial actually came about?

      I have to wonder just how much of the military budget in that fading republic is alloted toward sheer propaganda. The fact that americans are allowing their elected officials to redefine the word "torture" so that they can commit it...it's baffling in comparison to the picture of the US I grew up with. I can only assume that whoever is doing PR for the military is a fucking legend because this kind of shit was what ended Vietnam, but now it doesn't seem like anyone cares.

  2. Re:A classic case of a kettle calling the pot blac by deep44 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If another country treated an American citizen like this, it would be regarded as a hostage crisis.

  3. Re:Countries to take them by Alain+Williams · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What is the legality of keeping them without trial indefinitely ? The right to a fair trial is one of the inalienable fundamental rights, to which the USA is a signatory. If they can't prove it, then the guys must be let go.

    Pragmatically speaking: how many of these still incarcerated are a real risk ? (If they were in the first place.) I suspect that by no means all. So what is the purpose of continuing detention? I suspect some notion of revenge -- which belittles the concept of the USA being a humane and moral nation.

    Citizens of the USA: what is being done in your name ?