Fierce Military Lawyers Take On Gitmo Fight

Says he's not impartial; move could throw wrench in 9/11 trials

(NEWSER) - A military judge has expelled a Pentagon general from the case of a Guantanamo detainee in a move that could open the military tribunal system to further attacks. The judge said the general—who is supposed to be impartial as overseer of the Gitmo legal process—worked too closely with the prosecution, fueling critics’ argument that the system is designed to score convictions, the New York Times reports. More»

Plea bargain bars teen al-Qaeda fighter from 40-year sentence

(AP) - The long-running case of a onetime teenage al-Qaeda fighter is over, with a US military judge sentencing Omar Khadr to eight more years in custody for war crimes. The sentence was handed down yesterday under a plea bargain in which the young Canadian, now 24, admitted to five war crimes charges, including killing a US soldier in Afghanistan. More»

(NEWSER) - A Pentagon report concludes that 74 of 534 prisoners released from Guantanamo Bay returned to militant activity—a recidivism rate of 14%, or about 1 in 7, the New York Times notes. The report, still under review, could complicate President Obama’s goal of shutting the facility by January because of concerns about where remaining prisoners will go. He’ll offer more details of the plan tomorrow. More»

Evidence 'lost, disorganized'

(NEWSER) - The handling of evidence in Guantanamo Bay cases is so chaotic it may be impossible to properly convict a single prisoner, charges a former military prosecutor. Former Lt. Col. Darrel Vandeveld is supporting a federal court petition to free one detainee, Mohammed Jawad, who has been held without trial for six years, reports the Washington Post. More»

President-elect urged to stop tribunals before child soldier's trial

(NEWSER) - Human rights groups are worried about Barack Obama's plan to wait over 100 days before closing the Guantanamo Bay detenion center, reports the Miami Herald. Activists fear that Obama plans to keep the system of military tribunals going and are especially concerned about the upcoming trial of prisoner Omar Khadr, who was captured in Afghanistan when he was only 15. More»