Guantanamo Justice Moves Slowly, Frustrating Pentagon Official
Few terrorism and war-crimes detainees at Guantanamo Bay are likely to go to trial before President Bush leaves office.
Military lawyers and other experts who spoke to the New York Times said military commission trials of 14 pending cases are likely to be delayed while military judges sort out some tough legal issues.
Other obstacles to a speedy resolution include delays in appointments of lawyers and challenges by civil liberties organizations hoping to avoid quick show trials.
The first detainee trial, that of Osama bin Laden driver Salim Ahmed Hamdan, is scheduled for May 28. But before trial can begin, the judge has to deal with nearly 30 motions filed by his defense lawyers.
Among other things, the lawyers contend that Hamdan was psychologically damaged by conditions of his detention and he cannot assist his lawyers. They also say Pentagon officials improperly influenced the prosecution by seeking charges in “sexy” cases that could catch the public’s attention. They have also won a ruling that allows them to submit written questions on Hamdan’s behalf to four other detainees.
The slow pace has apparently frustrated Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Hartmann, an official of the Office of Military Commissions at the Pentagon. “You have to get the train moving so you can get to a destination,” he said in a recent interview with the Times. “And the train hadn’t been moving.”
