Miltary Commissions: Still Arbitrary

By GottaLaff

Adam Serwer writes:

Deborah Pearlstein suggests there's too much being made of the Obama administration task force on detention delaying their report, and ultimately the closure of Guantanamo Bay Prison for at least six months, pointing out that the original executive order contemplated that possibility.

However, what's frustrating about the preliminary reports released is that much of the problems with the Obama administration's policies--the use of military commissions. [...]

[A] closer look at tab A of the preliminary report also reveals that consideration of the "appropriate forum" for prosecution is based on "the manner in which the case was investigated and evidence gathered" and "legal or evidentiary problems that might attend prosecution in the other jurisdiction." This suggests that who gets charged by military commission is likely to be far more arbitrary than simply "those who violate the laws of war." [...]

I still don't know that we need them in the first place.

Military commissions do not work.

Please go read the rest of Adam's piece here.

All my previous posts on this subject matter can be found here; That link includes audio and video interviews with Lt. Col. Wingard, one by David Shuster, one by Ana Marie Cox, and more. My guest commentary at BuzzFlash is here.

If you are inclined to help rectify these injustices: Twitterers, use the hashtag #FreeFayiz. We have organized a team to get these stories out. If you are interested in helping Fayiz out, e-mail me at The Political Carnival, address in sidebar to the right; or tweet me at @GottaLaff.

If you'd like to see other ways you can take action, go here and scroll down to the end of the article.

Then read Jane Mayer's book The Dark Side. You'll have a much greater understanding of why I post endlessly about this, and why I'm all over the CIA deception issues, too.

More of Fayiz's story here, at Answers.com.