Gitmo Panelist Slams Hearing Process

Lt. Col. Stephen Abraham Is First Member Of Military Panel To Challenge Guantanamo Bay Hearings

(AP)  An Army officer who played a key role in the “enemy combatant” hearings at Guantanamo Bay says tribunal members relied on vague and incomplete intelligence while being pressured to rule against detainees, often without any specific evidence.

His affidavit, submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court and released Friday, is the first criticism by a member of the military panels that determine whether detainees will continue to be held.

Lt. Col. Stephen Abraham, a 26-year veteran of military intelligence who is an Army reserve officer and a California lawyer, said military prosecutors were provided with only “generic” material that didn't hold up to the most basic legal challenges.

Despite repeated requests, intelligence agencies arbitrarily refused to provide specific information that could have helped either side in the tribunals, according to Abraham, who said he served as a main liaison between the Combat Status Review Tribunals and the intelligence agencies.

“What were purported to be specific statements of fact lacked even the most fundamental earmarks of objectively credible evidence,” Abraham said in the affidavit submitted on behalf of a Kuwaiti detainee, Fawzi al-Odah, who is challenging his classification as an “enemy combatant.”

Abraham's affidavit “proves what we all suspected, which is that the CSRTs were a complete sham,” said a lawyer for al-Odah, David Cynamon.

A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chito Peppler, defended the process of determining which detainees should be held, saying the “procedures afford greater protection for wartime status determinations than any nation has ever before provided.”

“Lt. Col. Abraham provides his opinion and perspective on the CSRT process. We disagree with his characterizations,” Peppler said. “Lt. Col. Abraham was not in a position to have a complete view of the CSRT process.”

Abraham said he first raised his concerns when he was on active duty with the Defense Department agency in charge of the tribunal process from September 2004 to March 2005 and felt the issues were not adequately addressed. He said he decided his only recourse was to submit the affidavit.

“I pointed out nothing less than facts, facts that can and should be fixed,” he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from his office in Newport Beach, Calif.

[prinzowhales]

The guy has 26 year under his belt...he has nothing to loose by speaking out now. Expect these tribunals to be made up in the future of younger, career officers with nothing else going for them... who would sell their mother's virtue for a star.

[j-whitman]

roach9703,,, You don't think creating GITMO detention in the first place was a propaganda gift for them ????? ---- Every damm thing Bush has done has been a propaganda gift to the ememy.

[roach9703]

This is the most devastating testimony I have seen concerning the detainee program. This information from Lt. Col Stephen Abraham should be a subject of immediate congressional hearings.
This idiocy is propaganda gift for the ghihadists.

[tuckerndfw]

Lt. Col. Stephen Abraham is a credit to the nation, his uniform, and his profession.

Colonel Abraham, I salute you.

It is unfortunate that the Bush administration has chosen to alienate and persecute men of honor, such as you.

George Bush has no honor. He is a drunken, drug addicted, draft dodging coward, pathological liar and totally corrupt. He disgraces himself, his family, the nation and the military.

You cannot say that, but I can. And did.

Thank you for your honorable, valuable service.

(hand salute)

[mcvet]

Once again, you show the witless tack of a mental midget. If you have anything to add to the fact that "ONLY" congress can create US CODE, you should have said it before you proved how stupid you are.
Posted by pwrslm at 11:22 AM : Jun 23, 2007

Why do you Nazi's attack American's? My Neighbors and Fellow Citizens who KNOW as well as anyone that your Fuhrer, Cheney, is the guy behind the "Code". The Law that allows citizens of this nation to be labeled "Terrorist" was passed by the Fascist Congress. You and your Fuhrer have abandonded the Power of this nation, the REAL greatness, the Constitution. Why? Because you are now as always, sniveling cowards! Sieg Heil Bush!!

[formrusmcsgt]

These detainee's are held in accordance with the UCMJ, as directed by the US Congress.

You cant blame Bush for the Military doing what Congress told them to do.
Posted by pwrslm at 11:34 AM : Jun 23, 2007

ee, for a guy who likes to insult everyone as being stupid, you don't research very well, pwrslm.

The detaines at Gitmo are not being held under the UCMJ, but rather, under Army Regulation 190-8 which doesn't have squat to do with the UCMJ.

As you are obviously ignotant about that, let me fill you in.

Army Regulation 190-8 specifies policy, procedures, and responsibilities for the handling of prisoners of war.

As is always the case, you're caught again yelling about that which you know absolutely squat.

[j-whitman]

pwrslm,, The prisoners are being held in acordence with the UCMJ which only governs the conduct of our military, yes & internatinoal conventions as well,,, FINALLY,,,

It's the legality trials, detention & justice that's in question. Many have been released after several years in captivity because there was never evidence against them... Others Bush will never place infront of a court.

Congress didn't tell Bush to create GITMO,, They have been persistantly trying him to shut it down, it's an embarrassment to our nation & hurts our National Security.

[formrusmcsgt]

Once again, you show the witless tack of a mental midget. If you have anything to add to the fact that "ONLY" congress can create US CODE, you should have said it before you proved how stupid you are.
Posted by pwrslm at 11:22 AM : Jun 23, 2007

Writing code and pressuring Generals to convict without evidence are two very different things, pwrslm.

So sad to see that you still can not express yourself without resorting to childish insults.

They really make you appear mature and profound....

[grazinggoat]

These detainee's are held in accordance with the UCMJ, as directed by the US Congress.

You cant blame Bush for the Military doing what Congress told them to do.
Posted by pwrslm

- I have some extra soap. Can I send it to Bush in order to wash his hands off this issue?

[pwrslm]

In light of all the rhetoric and politicization of this issue, the fact is that the Military follows the UCMJ, the prisoners at Guantanamo, and other military prisons, whom are being held in conjunction with the wars we are involved in, are delivered there from ground units that have captured them.

These detainee's are held in accordance with the UCMJ, as directed by the US Congress.

You cant blame Bush for the Military doing what Congress told them to do.

[pwrslm]

Perhaps Pelosi can't find any US soldiers since the few remaining, left here in the states, are being sucked up as "friendly" audiences for Bush's Iraq "stay the course" speeches.
Posted by omega39

So you actually think she took the pictures her self?

Wanna buy 2005 collectible quarter? Only been in circulation for 24 months... I will let you have it for only $5.

Deal?






For the mental midget;

Index & Legislative History of the UCMJ (1950)

The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) is a federal law enacted by the United States Congress and is the foundation for the United States military justice system. The UCMJ was first established in 1950, and underwent major revisions in 1968 and 1983. Several subsequent amendments to the UCMJ have been made by Congress. The UCMJ may be cited as United States Code, Title 10, Subtitle A, Part II, Chapter 47 .
(Library of Congress Call Number KF7604.553.A15 1950; OCLC Number 4559670)

[pwrslm]

Only you would think that Congress is the entity to convict without any evidence. Been drinking already this morning, pwrslm?

Posted by formrusmcsgt

Once again, you show the witless tack of a mental midget. If you have anything to add to the fact that "ONLY" congress can create US CODE, you should have said it before you proved how stupid you are.

[omega39-2009]

This is the second time this has happened - you might recall that back in 2006 the Democrats also ran a patriotic photo...of Canadian soldiers.

Perhaps Pelosi can't find any US soldiers since the few remaining, left here in the states, are being sucked up as "friendly" audiences for Bush's Iraq "stay the course" speeches.

[hmmagain]

how is it that when immoral folk spank immoral folk, kids age five and less absorb 99 plus % of punishments; but, when moral folk spank moral folk, 99 plus % of kids age five and less are saved from their spankings?

[gpTom]

No one should be surprised that that the Gtmo prisoners are being held for years with no meaningful legal review of their cases -- that's what the process set out to do in the first place. It doesn't matter if the prisoners are "unlawful enemy combatants" or not; they are mere set-pieces in a drive by the ruling elites to establish quasi-legal mechanisms for disappearing citizens. Arguing whether it's the president or congress at fault here misses the point -- both are just water-boys for the real ruling elites. Read the fine print in the Military Commissions Act of 2006. Anyone, including US citizens on US soil, can now be arbitrarily labeled a "terrorist", no evidence or legal review necessary, and disappeared into a Gtmo-like Gulag, unless courageous men like Lt. Col. Stephen Abraham prevail. The United States has never faced greater peril than it does right now, only that peril is coming from inside the DC beltway

[bm6005]

And, who found this surprising??

[grazinggoat]

He is precisely the average American. He is as stupid as you are, as hasty as you are, as ignorant and predujiced as you are, as irrational and unable to think logically as you are. He is you. You are him. Bush is the average American. Gitmo is the typical lazy and insubstantial approach of Americans to important decisions.
Wouldn't it be nice if it was as you people imagine, if Bush was some bad guy who was worse than yourselves, why, that's eaxactly the kind of thing Bush wishes for. He wishes there were some "bad guys" worse than him to justify his random and dull life.
Look around you, I live in Gitmo right now, and you are the jailers. Stop ragging on Bush.
Posted by SharnCedar

-Great Post SharnCedar! Wish this dark episode in our collective life to be as educative as possible. Hopefully the average Lazy American will have woken up, and got educated in better consideration of Human Life and Human Sanctity.

-Those Average Americans in POWER now have tobe accountable, and hope from my heart that they will be brought to JUSTICE and tried. This critical laziness shall not go unpunished.

[formrusmcsgt]

make that "the entity pushing to convict without evidence"......

[formrusmcsgt]

Its not the Executive office running these tribunals. Its the US Military, and they use rules and guidlines given to them by the US Congress.

If anyone is to blame, its them.
Posted by pwrslm at 09:22 AM : Jun 23, 2007

Only you would think that Congress is the entity to convict without any evidence. Been drinking already this morning, pwrslm?

[king77shaw]

sadly, we have become the United States of Israel. Instead of our historic role as world leader and beacon of hope, we, along with Israel, are now the most hated-nation worldwide. Look at who controls our foreign policy and media and it's not hard to see why.