Despite the fact that defense attorneys for five suspected al Qaeda members being held at Guantanamo Bay have not yet received security clearances from the Pentagon that would allow them to participate in hearings, the Bush administration is aggressively pushing ahead with the prosecutions. The lawyers also claim that so far, they have had only a few hours to meet with their clients and have not had time to sufficiently “prepare a defense” in the death penalty cases.
A newly released e-mail, dated May 27, shows a civilian member of the prosecution team suggesting a trial date of Sept. 15:

As the attorneys write in their brief asking the military judge to dismiss the charges against the detainees, “Not coincidentally, the Prosecution has now proposed a trial schedule that would force the trial of this case in mid-September, some seven weeks before the general election.” The Miami Herald notes the additional political significance of Sept. 15:
The date, in fact, is 10 days after Sen. John McCain, an architect of Military Commissions law, is expected to be officially nominated as the Republican presidential candidate at the GOP national convention in St. Paul, Minn.
In October, Air Force Col. Morris Davis, formerly the lead prosecutor for terrorism trials at Guantanamo Bay, also revealed that he was pressured to pursue “sexy” cases, instead of ones that were the most solid. “There was a big concern that the election of 2008 is coming up,” Davis said. “People wanted to get the cases going.”

In October, Air Force Col. Morris Davis, formerly the lead prosecutor for terrorism trials at Guantanamo Bay, also revealed that he was pressured to pursue “sexy” cases, instead of ones that were the most solid. “There was a big concern that the election of 2008 is coming up,” Davis said. “People wanted to get the cases going.”
Everything is about self-serving political power with these people. Principles such as justice or integrity don’t even register.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
May 30th, 2008 at 11:04 amThere is nothing like stacking the deck in bush league justice.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:12 amThis kind of crap only plays to the 23%ers.
The rest of America has caught on, but the gutless chickenhawk GOPers still haven’t figured that out.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:20 amThey are making a sham of these court preceedings. These attorneys need have not had enough time with their clients. I want justice for 9/ll just as much as anyone else, but there is proper proceedure that has to be followed or you just make a mockery of the Judicial System.
The rest of the world will see it for what it truly is, a joke. Is that what we really want to portray to the world that we make up the rules as we go along? I don’t think so. This is only going to further damage the reputation of the US.
Bush is trying to completely destory this country before he leaves office. His use of this tragedy to help the GOP nomination is just reprehesive.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:20 amIt won’t matter. The people who perpetrated the crime of the century are scott free: Osama and Zawahiri.
If the media have been paying any attention to statements by McClellan, then they will be driving this point in the WH press meetings.
How many tapes have Osama and Zawahiri made since 911, taunting America and calling for acts of terrorism against America and the West?
May 30th, 2008 at 11:21 amThis court is NOT legal. Period. It all needs to be shut down.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:24 amShow trials. No access to evidence. Propaganda. Controlled media. Prosecution by decree. Torture. Secrecy. Political officers overseeing civil service.
The tough part about this admin is deciding whether it’s a clone of the Soviet or the Third Reich.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:29 amcavjam,
May 30th, 2008 at 11:34 amIt’s the extension of the reich, it never ended, it’s just been laying dormant for a few decades, waking up for a little bit here and there (McCarthy comes to mind), waiting for the right “leader” to bring it back to life.
I hate to sound like a twoofer or a conspiracy nut, but I project we have about a 65-70% of becoming a martial law, fascist, closed nation within a year. We’re teetering on the edge right now…
May 30th, 2008 at 11:39 amOf course, by then Cheney will be full steam ahead (unless it happens this summer) — with 9/11 : The Sequel.
Remember we have to scare the sh_t out of the sheeple, so the stage can be set for the Big Maverick McCantraisemyleftarmto come in and save from Islamofascists!
May 30th, 2008 at 11:42 ameverything, and I mean EVERYTHING is exploited by the Rethuglic party to milk political advantage they can to the last drop.
bastards
May 30th, 2008 at 11:42 amOf course, by then Cheney will be full steam ahead (unless it happens this summer) — with 9/11 : The Sequel.
Remember we have to scare the sh_t out of the sheeple, so the stage can be set for the Big Maverick
McCantraisemyleftarmto
May 30th, 2008 at 11:43 amcome in and save us all from those nasty Islamofascists!
The truly pathetic thing about these upcoming trials is how very badly this flies in the face of 600 years of judicial progress. The Administration is perfectly willing to ignore 400 years of English Common Law. Then its willing to throw out 200 years of American Law And throw the Constitution out the window (although they’ve been doing That for so long I should’nt be surprised At All)! When will Congressional Democrats and whatever Republicans are left with some shred of conscience Finally step up and IMPEACH!
May 30th, 2008 at 11:43 amImpeach Cheney (FIRST) and Bush and Save the Constitution!
liberal traitor Says:
I hate to sound like a twoofer or a conspiracy nut, but I project we have about a 65-70% of becoming a martial law, fascist, closed nation within a year. We’re teetering on the edge right now…
We are definately teetering on the edge. A very recent indicator is the pulling of the ad by Dunkin Donuts showing rachel Ray wearing a scarff. After almost 8 years of uncovering lies by the administration, just one nutjob big mouth (malkin) can start the fire all over again. We are truly a nation of sheep. Invading Iran (probably using a false flag type operation) will also seal the door on our new fascist state. After all this time, people are still scared.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:44 amSure, the timing may be in concert with McCain’s nomination, but it is no coincidence that it also coincides with yet another anniversary of 9/11. After a weekend of remembrance after remembrance (and I mean no disrespect for that aspect) we immediately move into the “verdict already set” kangaroo court.
It’s all about politics, not about justice. If we are looking for people being help accountable for horrific actions, Gitmo is not the place to begin…
PEACE
May 30th, 2008 at 11:47 amOn the way to work this morning, I was thinking whereas Obama is certainly not a perfect candidate but if this country is hijacked again by Rovian Dirty Elections —
and McCant-raise-my-left-arm gets in we are f_cked.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:49 amFunny Osama Bin Bush is not even listed on the FBLie’s website for crimes associated with 9/11…
May 30th, 2008 at 11:52 amI bet all the neocons will demand every last one of their constitutional protections when they are on trial for treason, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:53 amI am sad to say that this latest tactic, the BushCo Kangaroo Kourt doesn’t even surprise me any more. Anger, frustrate, sadden, yes, but not surprise.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:53 amhow many of the “20th hijackers” are they going to put on trial?i think they’ve captured about half a dozen of them.. or am i confusing them with “al queda number 2’s”?
May 30th, 2008 at 11:56 amand some of the hijackers are still living…
May 30th, 2008 at 12:02 pmThis is a sad epsode in our military history. The military has been politicized by this President and his two defense secretaries. They will stop at nothing including using the military to get elected. In light of Scott McClellans new book, nothing surprises me. The voters need to wake up and realize that allowing republicans to play politics with the military endangers our freedoms.
How? Because when civilian leaders encourage military leaders to openly participate in political games, they make take the ultimate step and take over in a coup. I know this might seem extreme, but we’ve seen it in movies before. So when military officers have the go ahead to do things based on politics, you create an admosphere of lying, cheating, and envy which is dangerous. All it will take is a few generals who think that they know whats best for the country to lead to a military take over. What would stop them when they are actually in charge of all of the weapons, soldiers, and bases. The U.S. Constitution was written to subordinate the military leaders to civilian rule on purpose.
Remember Napolean Bonepart? He was a military leader to took power based on his popularity with his troops and political idealism. We’ve had a close call with General McArthur during the Korean war and we don’t need a modern general who questions civilian leaders. As Mr. McClellan pointed out, this permanent campaign strategy leads to corruption and deceit. We can’t afford to have ambitious generals who think they have a green light to take over based on politics. Look at how much effort Bush put into making General Petraeus an issue in the conduct of the war. No general should ever decide alone whether we stay in or leave a war zone.
May 30th, 2008 at 12:35 pmMore evidence of bushco’s “permanent campaign.”
May 30th, 2008 at 12:55 pmOnly 235 days until our long national nightmare is over.
The date of conviction (and the assigned sentence) must be still classified.
May 30th, 2008 at 1:06 pmFive years with no action . . and now at a ‘crucial” election - we see the need to rush these Kangaroo Kourt Kases to help McSame pound the podium as a strong defender of AMERICA!!!
(Did anyone note in this morning’s WH Press Conference, when Dippy Dana said part of the reasons for removing Saddam was him “paying suicide bombers” . . as I recall, the Saudis held a TELETHON and raised $40 MILLION for “the families” of the bombers, and the 9-11 roster read like a Saudi phone-book . . . . )
May 30th, 2008 at 1:13 pmThe people responsible for 911 are not muslim.
Those people run the Republican party. Chenen, Bush 1 and 2, Rumsfeld and the rest of the New World Order fascists.
The new Nazi’s
May 30th, 2008 at 1:38 pmHmm, I think Bush should be impeached, shipped to Iraq and held under the same circumstances to answer for his Crimes Against Humanity! Wouldnt that be just fitting!
JJ
May 30th, 2008 at 1:53 pmWhats hiding on your PC?
And Bin Laden will be captured in October. Right before Iran is attacked.
May 30th, 2008 at 2:55 pmDon’t forget the economic backlash of 9/11 coming strong like a TSUNAMI! Ask me if 7yrs later the criminal idiot BEHIND IT ALL is still in the White House? Yes, he’s still there. Things are going swimingly and right on schedule for the Baal worshipers in the 21st century!
May 30th, 2008 at 3:30 pmGuido said,
The people who perpetrated the “crime of the century,” on the “day that changed everything,” are certainly free so far but there is considerable doubt that Osama / Al Quaeda had anything whatsoever to do with it.
My firm conviction is that we haven’t caught and pinned it on Bin Laden because (1) Bin Laden is dead, and (2) he was not responsible in any case.
I know broaching this topic is anathema on TP, but we have never had a full and fair investigation of what happened on the day that has given rise to the Patriot Act, the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, the invasion and occupation of Iraq, and countless breaches of law to include warrantless wiretapping, state-sponsored torture, and the illegal grab for power rationalized under the notion of a unitary executive “in times of war.”
I don’t know if we ever will, but I hope I live to see the day.
May 30th, 2008 at 5:08 pmit’s easier to show that the planes didn’t bring the towers down, than to show that bin laden didn’t organise the planes.
just sayin’
May 31st, 2008 at 11:08 am