Nazi/commie/fascist neocons, read 'em and weep: Judge appointed by Ronald Reagan: Gitmo legal documents must be public
cake_and_...@yahoo.com
the article is reproduced below for fair use, and to draw the bitter
angst of the sorry neocon apologists and supporters of the sinful,
illicit, unholy, unclean, and criminal GWBush and those sinners of his
administration.- which include, but surely are not limited to:
GWBush, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Gonzales, Rove, Condo Rice,
Ashcroft, Rumsfeld, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Michael Savage,
Sean Hannity, and many of the nasty neocons who post their self-
serving and anti-American drivel in the groups copied on this
monumental posting. The International Criminal Court comes for them,
and soon........... make sure to bring your swmming masks and
snorkels, boys and girls, for your coming waterboardings sessions.....
bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!
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Judge: Gitmo legal documents must be public
By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer Nedra Pickler, Associated
Press Writer
Mon Jun 1, 4:03 pm ET
WASHINGTON – A federal judge ordered the United States on Monday to
publicly reveal unclassified versions of its allegations and evidence
justifying the continued imprisonment of more than 100 detainees being
held at Guantanamo Bay.
The Justice Department had been filing unclassified versions of its
legal documents under seal, so that they could only be seen by judges,
attorneys and government officials. Attorneys for the detainees were
able to share the documents with their clients and witnesses who would
agree to rules restricting the information's disclosure.
Department officials said the practice was necessary to protect
national security after they discovered that some unclassified records
mistakenly contained some classified information. The department had
said the documents were only sealed temporarily while they could be
more carefully reviewed for classified information.
Attorneys for the detainees said the secrecy made it harder for them
to prepare for upcoming hearings and that some witnesses would not
agree to the court's secrecy rules. The Associated Press, The New York
Times and USA Today had joined the fight, arguing that the government
was keeping valuable information from the public that has a right to
monitor the legal process.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan sided with the detainees' attorneys
and the media, saying the public has a right to access the records.
"The issue of what to do with the detainees at Guantanamo Bay remains
a source of great public interest and debate," Hogan wrote.
"Providing the public with access to the charges levied against these
detainees, as detailed in the factual returns, ensures greater
oversight of the detentions and these proceedings," he said. "As long
as public access does not come at the expense of the litigation
interests of petitioners or national security, the court believes the
public has a common law right to access the returns."
The judge ordered the Justice Department to publicly file its
unclassified records or request what specific information it wants to
keep protected, marking the exact words with a colored highlighter, by
July 29.
Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said the ruling is under review
and that the documents were never meant to be sealed indefinitely. He
said the government has limited resources for classification and was
using them to create declassified versions of the documents that
detainees' attorneys could share with their clients and witnesses.
Dave Tomlin, AP's associate general counsel, applauded the ruling as
"a very welcome affirmation of what we think was clear from the
start."
"A court doesn't have to accept the government's word that keeping
court records secret protects important security interests," Tomlin
said. "The government must try to prove it, and it's the court's job
to decide if they've succeeded."
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