Chief Guantanamo Prosecutor Resigned When Placed Under Command Of Torture Advocate
Chief Guantanamo Prosecutor Resigned When Placed Under Command Of Torture Advocate
Until Oct. 4, Morris Davis served as chief prosecutor for the military commissions at Guantanamo Bay. When originally asked why he was stepping down, Davis said that the Pentagon had ordered him “not to communicate with the news media about my resignation or military commissions.”
Today in an LA Times op-ed, however, Morris reveals that part of the reason he resigned was that the Bush administration placed him under the chain of command of Defense Department General Counsel William J. Haynes, a torture advocate whose nomination to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals was blocked by the Senate. Morris writes:
I had instructed the prosecutors in September 2005 that we would not offer any evidence derived by waterboarding, one of the aggressive interrogation techniques the administration has sanctioned. Haynes and I have different perspectives and support different agendas, and the decision to give him command over the chief prosecutor’s office, in my view, cast a shadow over the integrity of military commissions. I resigned a few hours after I was informed of Haynes’ place in my chain of command.
Haynes is a close ally of Vice President Cheney and has been described as a “prime mover” in the effort to contravene the dictates of the Geneva Conventions. A 2003 working group appointed and supervised by Haynes argued the Geneva Conventions “must be construed as inapplicable to interrogations undertaken pursuant to [Bush’s] Commander-in-Chief authority.”
More recently, Haynes blocked Lt. Col. Stuart Couch, a former Guantanamo Bay prosecutor, from testifying before Congress about his experiences with “enhanced” interrogation.
In October, Morris also revealed that the Pentagon had been pushing for “high-profile” convictions of detainees ahead of the 2008 elections. Morris said “that he felt pressure to pursue cases that were deemed ’sexy’ over those that prosecutors believed were the most solid or were ready to go.”
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36 Responses to “Chief Guantanamo Prosecutor Resigned When Placed Under Command Of Torture Advocate”
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Is JP here?
December 10th, 2007 at 7:17 pmWaterboarding is considered illegal and inhumane.
Folks such as Davis have come out and said it was done.
Why on earth haven’t the Democrats, and other “Christian” organizations jumped all over this?
Not only falling into crimes and misdemeanors, how many treaties and international laws is this country (administration) violating?
How can this not be a perfect item for the Democrats to reap HUGE benefits from?
December 10th, 2007 at 7:23 pmGoodness… one bit of news after another these days.
At least Davis had the integrity to stand on his convictions.
December 10th, 2007 at 7:24 pmHow can this not be a perfect item for the Democrats to reap HUGE benefits from?
Comment by dogjudge — December 10, 2007 @ 7:23 pm
Because it is appearing more and more that Dems are indeed just GOP Lite, dogjudge.
December 10th, 2007 at 7:25 pmoh no - another “disgruntled” former righty, who’s “just trying to make the Cheerleader Prince look bad” by telling the truth.
December 10th, 2007 at 7:25 pmDefense Department General Counsel William J. Haynes
Well, there’s your problem right there. Smart lawyers don’t practice law in the military. In the military you have the bottom of the barrel. You know, like Sen. Lindseed Graham(cracker) (RePugniScum, SC)
December 10th, 2007 at 7:29 pmWow, Morris Davis sounds like a “stand up” kind of guy. I sure wish there were more of them in our government. Maybe they are all starting to get a conscience and to realize that if we continue down the road we are on now, we will become the enemy.
December 10th, 2007 at 7:31 pmcompare this to the US Attorneys that condoned and participated in obstruction of justice for their leader and anointer.
December 10th, 2007 at 7:32 pmThank you Morris Davis for having morals and integrity, something that has been lost to 28% of the country.
Stand up to abuse and criminal activity by the Bush Crime Lords.
Bush/Cheney/Haynes
Hague Trials ‘09
Buck Fush
December 10th, 2007 at 7:44 pmA tremendous sickness has befallen upon this once great nation.
Unfortunately, the rest of us, one day, will be made to pay for the crimes committed by others.
Perhaps this is fitting justice, since our collective laziness, cowardice and stupidity has allowed these crimes to go unabated.
December 10th, 2007 at 7:46 pmWaterboarding, what is the big deal ? Once upon a time way back in the evolutionary process, we at one time had gills. So how can they now call waterboarding in any way, shape, or form - torture ? (end fascist snark)
December 10th, 2007 at 7:55 pmGee, how can I ever thank Nancy Pelosi for covering for bush and keeping quiet about TORTURE.
This government is so rancid with double-talking filthy turncoat liars, we need a major series of impeachments, resignations and a sweeping Constitutional convention.
Or, we could close the government down, fire/jail the @ssholes and reboot. I vote for America 2.0.
Kucinich/Feingold ‘08
December 10th, 2007 at 8:04 pmWar is over if you want it.
Morris Davis? Wasn’t he the bad guy in Purple Rain? What’s the deal?
December 10th, 2007 at 8:04 pmWhy does this remind me alot of the U.S. Attorney scandal?
December 10th, 2007 at 8:05 pmDavis to Haynes to Bush and Cheney - that’s what I call efficient movement up the chain of command.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:34 pmIt’s time to subpoena Davis so he can sing on the Bush Administration and take this right to the top where it justly belongs.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:35 pmJust watched Keith Olberman on this topic. Wapo and constitutional lawyer just weighted in and this “torture gate” is more than this administration of smoke & mirrors can bear at this point. I suspect that we will see a total disintegration of the Bush/Cheney cabal over this.
This has to be the one to take down this presidency.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:37 pmAnd if it also happens to take down Nancy Pelosi and David Rockefeller in the process, so be it. Nancy’s the fool for taking impeachment off the table, thanks to her complicity and tacit approval of waterboarding so she certainly no longer deserves to be speaker of the house. Rockefeller….well….he’s become a cypher.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:38 pmThis scandal which it appears goes right to the top and stops at Bush’s desk will implode - ending the reign of Emperor Bush.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:39 pmAmerica 2.0
Comment by hanshiro — December 10, 2007 @ 8:04 pm
America 2.0
I like that!
December 10th, 2007 at 8:41 pmIn related news, the rattle snakes are continuing to feast on each other.
http://www.cbsnews.com/ stories/ 2007/ 12/ 10/ eveningnews/ main3604018.shtml
The last part is why I’m posting. I haven’t seen or heard anything else about this. Is BLACKWATER running torture camps for the United States Government?
December 10th, 2007 at 8:43 pmIs JP here?
Comment by Nevar — December 10, 2007 @ 7:17 pm
no, i guess all this hate filled name calling finally pushed an independent like her from our cause.
good luck jp and please give all of your money and support to the “huck” huckabee campaign for president!
December 10th, 2007 at 8:59 pmI commend Col. Davis on the path he has chosen.
Sadly, our government has found individuals quite willing to torture, and quite willing to use statements made under torture as evidence to be used against either the victim of torture or others.
Such evidence is classified, meaning the accused cannot see it, nor question how it was obtained. Yet the accused can be sentenced to death based upon it.
Meanwhile, those who commit torture in the United States are insulated from both criminal prosecution and civil liability for their actions.
And, by posting on a liberal blog comments which criticize the government, we too could be labled “enemy combatants” and subjected to the same treatment afforded those at Guantanamo. The mechanisms to do that are in place. All that is needed is another “terrorist attack.”
December 10th, 2007 at 9:16 pmComment by joe cantwell — December 10, 2007 @ 8:59 pm
From the few “comments” I’ve read by JP, I don’t see how you can characterize him/her as “Independent.”
December 10th, 2007 at 10:06 pmAw shucks, what’s the big deal about waterboarding? Rush says its just a college hazing thing. And besides, it can’t be all that bad cause the whole republic party, presidential candidates and even our trolls either ignore it or think its a good idea. And, you know, the American public would be up in arms if they thought it was bad. So give it a rest,OK?
December 10th, 2007 at 10:24 pmSnark off
The republics are imploding right in front of our very eyes! Look at them sweat. The smell of desperation is in the air.
December 10th, 2007 at 10:27 pmEvery day it is another revelation. And the pace continues to pick up. It has taken a long time to gain the momentum that now exists, but it is undeniable now. The tidal wave has almost reached the shore!
“Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceedingly small
Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all.”
W, your time is nigh.
December 10th, 2007 at 10:32 pmcheney sure is a busy man……sooner or later he won’t be busy anymore.
December 10th, 2007 at 10:55 pmTorture is Torture. We as a nation can survive without the tainted information extracted.
http://digg.com/ politics/ CIA_Spy_Calls_Waterboarding_Necessary_But_Torture_2
Digg it
December 11th, 2007 at 1:07 am.
How many other principled resignations don’t we know about because the resigner has been muzzled by the Bush thugs?
December 11th, 2007 at 1:25 amWell done Morris Davis!!! BUSH AND CNENNEY HAGE 09!
December 11th, 2007 at 1:49 amJesus wept.
December 11th, 2007 at 6:32 amFinally, a person does the right thing.
The down side of doing the right thing is that in doing the right thing he opened the door for one more neocon operative to take his place.
December 11th, 2007 at 7:19 amIt more and more evident that the LAW is made to be broken, or disregarded, or is just plain meaningless. Ask bush, or pelosi, but don’t ask the court itself, because they are powerless or just don’t want to define it.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:35 amSeveral military prosecuters have tried to uphold the Constitution by making judgements that support the lawful teachings they have learned, only to be marginalized and set to pasture for their opinions.
America was a nation of lawful discussion. That is no longer the case.
Democracy is to the back of the bus.
What are the chances we could draft this Colonel for President? I bet he knows enough other REAL Americans to bring back to government, and could lead a peaceful revolution back to its basic principles. GOTTA LOVE THIS GUY - MORRIS DAVIS deserves the Medal of Freedom, and then some….
December 11th, 2007 at 1:35 pmHallelujah! Someone with integrity and the courage to speak.
December 11th, 2007 at 5:49 pm