Rumsfeld Criticized for Unfair Tribunals, page 1

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is accused of running afoul of President Bush's call for legally sound Guantanamo trials. Army Maj. Tom Fleener, a military lawyer, stated that Mr. Rumsfeld violated the notion of fairness, by not providing an adequate hearing for detainees. The accused cannot view evidence or represent themselves, Maj. Fleener added. He felt that if the Defense Secretary would not even allow these rules, he and his staff was in direct contradiction of the President's order.

today.reuters.com

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his appointees set rules that violate President George W. Bush's order to hold fair trials for prisoners charged with terrorism in the Guantanamo tribunals, a military defense lawyer said on Friday.

"We can't help it that the secretary of defense and his delegees (sic) have messed this thing up, but they have," military lawyer Army Maj. Tom Fleener told the presiding officer at one of the hearings.

"If the rules don't provide for a full and fair trial, then they violate the president's order."

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It seems that Mr. Rumsfeld's view of military tribunals differ from that of his leader, President Bush. The problem is that if there are different points of view that these hearings are run, the accused are not having their day in court. There needs to be a set of consistent rules. This also adds to the corruption surrounding the treatment of prisoners in Guatanamo Bay.

[edit on 8-4-2006 by ceci2006]

[edit on 10-4-2006 by asala]