Navy Lawyer in Terror Case Not Promoted

AP ^ | 10/8/6

[SmithL]

The Navy lawyer who led a successful Supreme Court challenge of the Bush administration's military tribunals for detainees at Guantanamo Bay has been passed over for promotion and will have to leave the military, The Miami Herald reported Sunday.

Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift, 44, will retire in March or April under the military's "up or out" promotion system. Swift said last week he was notified he would not be promoted to commander.

He said the notification came about two weeks after the Supreme Court sided with him and against the White House in the case involving Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a Yemeni who was Osama bin Laden's driver.

"It was a pleasure to serve," Swift told the newspaper. He added he would have defended Hamdan even if he had known it would cut short his Navy career.

"All I ever wanted was to make a difference — and in that sense I think my career and personal satisfaction has been beyond my dreams," Swift said.

The Pentagon had no comment Sunday.

A graduate of the University of Seattle School of Law, Swift plans to continue defending Hamdan as a civilian.

[marmar]

He is a Navy Jag.....

[thelastvirgil]

Good riddance. I love that military merit system. I'm sure the ACLU will open a slot for him; he's already made his bones, so to speak.

[thelastvirgil]

File this in your "There ought to be a law" file: Never mention the term "ethics" and "lawyer" in the same breath.

[thelastvirgil]

Help me sort this out, genius. Under which nation's flag did Hambreath serve bin Laden, and in which army's uniform? Geneva Conventions rights, my arse.

[PzLdr]

Why is the inference that he got passed over because of the Hamdan defense so readily accepted? Ever think that just maybe he wasn't that good as an attorney overall? Or that his OERs weren't up to snuff for reasons unrelated to the Hamdan case?

[submarinerswife]

He is a Navy Jag.....

I had a blond moment. I know he is Navy. Thanks for pointing that out.

[af_vet_1981]

The "just war" theory is being anxiously discussed by liberals in their faux congregations.

[jude24]

The "just war" theory is being anxiously discussed by liberals in their faux congregations.

The "just war" theory has been a mainstay of Christian theology since St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. Are those "faux" Christians?

[marmar]

I am a reserve AF medic, we get slammed for many things, I know we are spoiled, for the most part. But my greatest treasure is helping to bring our Wounded Warriors home. It helps to have the equipment to do it.

I can honestly say, that not to many other services bad mouth us, when we are moving them.

[submarinerswife]

I am a reserve AF medic, we get slammed for many things, I know we are spoiled, for the most part. But my greatest treasure is helping to bring our Wounded Warriors home. It helps to have the equipment to do it. I can honestly say, that not to many other services bad mouth us, when we are moving them.

Competition between the branches is what it is. The Coast Guard were Puddle Pirates until they became part of homeland security.
My son is delayed entry to the Navy. He wants to be a Corpsman with the Fleet Marines. Honorable job that you do, Marmar.

[Brucifer]

That sounds like pretty serious work to me. I don't know anybody slamming medics. Especially anybody who's needed one. God Bless You.

[marmar]

No....not medics, but you know the AF gets it. I can't complain, I know it was the best choice for me. I would have been an officer in any other service. But for some reason it had to be the AF. I have never been more satisfied with my AF career, as the times I have deployed and gotten to literally move the precious cargo. Quite a humbling experience when you see the quality of Men that are coming back home it gives me great hope for our future.