Holder Doesn't Support Military Commissions To Try Gitmo Detainees

By John Bresnahan

(The Politico)  Holder does not believe that the military commissions process for trying Guantanamo detainees is adequate, and he expressed personal support for using the Army Field Manual as the standard for detainee interrogations.

Holder also committed, under questioning by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), to review the Justice Department's not to pursue criminal charges against Bradley Schlozman, a former DOJ official, after an Inspector General report found Schlozman may have lied to the Judiciary Committee about politicization within DOJ.

"I don't think that the military commissions have in place all the due process requirements that I would like to see them have," Holder told Feinstein. "They would have to be, I think, substantially revised to provide all the due process that we have as Americans."

Holder, though, would not commit to moving some Guantanamo detainees to federal prisons within the United States, or trials for these detains in federal courts.

"I think we want to leave our options open," Feinstein said. "I don't know what system we would have in place to try these people."

Holder, though, said whatever arrangements are made to try such detainees "will be seen as fair," both in the United States and internationally.