General Defends Gitmo Trial Process

[unhappycamper]

General Defends Gitmo Trial Process
March 31, 2008
Military.com|by Bryant Jordan

The military’s top legal advisor to the U.S. terrorist trials strongly defended the ongoing process to adjudicate suspects detained at Guantanamo Bay, saying the system is fair despite objections from experts and human rights groups that torture and sealed evidence has robbed the foreign defendants of their rights.

"Absolutely not; this is an extraordinary process and you are not going to find a better engine of truth than a trial, whether a civilian trial or military trial or military commission," Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Hartmann said March 31 when asked by Military.com whether the military's own justice system may become a casualty of the process.

Hartmann, addressing military bloggers in a telephone interview, said the military tribunal system set up to try Gitmo detainees is "modeled after the standard American trial system," in which the accused will be able to face their accusers and see all evidence against them -- even if it's classified.

"This isn't anything like a casualty or anything," he said. "This is a monument to the fairness of the American justice system."

Hartmann spoke with bloggers to discuss the charges just filed against Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani -- a Tanzanian said to be connected to the 1998 terrorist attack on the U.S. embassy in that country.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/general-defends-gitmo-trial-process.html?col=1186032310810