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| Shut up or else, military tells Guantanamo lawyers |
| 2006-10-16 |
| THE US Marine Corps has threatened to punish two military lawyers if they continue to speak publicly about reported prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay, a civilian colleague has said. The threat to Lieutenant-Colonel Colby Vokey and Sergeant Heather Cerveny follows their report that guards bragged about beating prisoners, said Muneer Ahmad, a law professor at American University in Washington who helps in the defence of a Canadian suspect. The order has heightened fears among the military defenders of Guantanamo prisoners that their careers will suffer for exposing flaws and injustices in the system, Professor Ahmad said at the weekend. "In one fell swoop, the Government is gagging a defence lawyer and threatening retaliation against a whistleblower," he said. "It really points out what is wrong with the detainee legislation that [President George] Bush is scheduled to sign on Tuesday: it permits the abuse of detainees to continue, immunises the wrongdoers and precludes the detainees from ever challenging it in court." The Marine Corps said the gag had been ordered to ensure the legal team's actions complied with professional standards. "The chief defence counsel of the Marine Corps, as Lieutenant-Colonel Vokey's direct supervisor, has directed him not to communicate with the media on this case pending her review of the facts," said First Lieutenant Blanca Binstock, of the corps' public affairs office. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #7 I think it's time both of these lawyers were reassigned to cleaning duties for the rest of their time in the military. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2006-10-16 14:36 |
| #6 Of course, they could also be bragging about busting heads because the inmates where acting up and, you know, trying to kill a guard. I bet they really violated his "civil liberties" during that escapade. |
| Posted by: Danking70 2006-10-16 11:46 |
| #5 I can almost forgive the Sgt but a LtCol? No he should know better. IF he had knowledge of abuse then he knows the chain of command and that taking matter outside that prejudice the accusations. FYI Someone “bragging” about busting heads in the NCO Club does not equal abuse and it may be just a case of trying to pump ones self up in front of a skirt. Yes girls we men will LIE to get into your pants. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2006-10-16 10:30 |
| #4 Whether you're a trench digger or an Attorney, if you are in the military, you do not own yourself. This kind of propaganda might wash in the civilian world, but not at Guantanamo. If you're in the military, and you really want to blow whistles, there are official channels for that. You freedom of speech is abridged by your duty to uphold Esprit de Corps, as well as the chain of command. Besides, these two are full of sh*t. Anecdotal heresay stories about 'bragging' of abuse, without a shred of physical or direct evidence? Shut the hell up. |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-10-16 08:49 |
| #3 I think I heard Sergeant Heather Cerveny on the radio. If it was her, she sounded like a super moron. "It's like, I heard some people talking, and they were bragging about beating them and stuff, like, I heard it, okay? |
| Posted by: anon 2006-10-16 04:53 |
| #2 Next Assignment: Defending seals in the Alutians. |
| Posted by: Glerelet Flaviger5433 2006-10-16 01:32 |
| #1 Whoa there, Bessie, first is t'was Torture, then yestiddy ABU GHRAIB > A SEX ORGY??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-10-16 00:46 |