Posted on 05/18/2010 12:34:33 PM PDT by jazusamo
The appointment of a well-respected ex-Navy lawyer to oversee war-crime trials is being seen in military legal circles as a sign the Obama administration might reverse its decision to bring Khalid Shaikh Mohammed to New York for a civilian trial.
At the same time, a pending speedy-trial ruling in a second terror case in New York could give Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. an escape route through which he could switch the trial of Shaikh Mohammed (KSM) from federal court back to a military system set up by former President George W. Bush and Congress.
In February, the White House and Mr. Holder left open the possibility of a war-crimes trial for Shaikh Mohammed, the admitted 9/11 attack mastermind. This would reverse Mr. Holder's much-criticized decision in November to bring the al Qaeda heavyweight to the federal court system, where he would enjoy more rights and perhaps a media forum for anti-American propaganda.
A month after the administration signaled a reversal, the Pentagon, with significant White House input, named retired Navy Vice Adm. Bruce MacDonald as the war-crimes convening authority. In that post, the Navy's former top lawyer is the official who brings criminal charges, selects jury pools, approves defense- lawyer expenses and makes other rulings.
Charles Stimson, the Pentagon's director of detainee affairs in the Bush administration and who still monitors terror prosecutions as a legal analyst at the Heritage Foundation, noted the significance of the MacDonald appointment.
"Picking Bruce does not prove that KSM is going to commission, but what it does show is that Bruce would not have taken the leap if he did not think he was going to get some substantive cases, because he's a worker guy. He likes real work," said Mr. Stimson...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
You think they've come down with a sudden case of maturity?
They have to be somewhat realistic until they can find a way to shut down FNC and talk radio.
I think the Obama administration has realized that even one terrorist attack in New York during the proposed proceedings would have been a political disaster.
No way! :-)
The flak they’ve taken already is nothing compared to what they’ll take if a terrorist incident happens in a city a trial would take place in and I think they realize it. As usual it’s all about Obama.
Plus, consider the possibility of a defendant turning a civilian prosecution into a circus trial, like Milosovic did.
An early sign that Holder is on his way out, perhaps?
Let’s hope so, I didn’t think of that.
Has Harm made Admiral yet?
If this guy helps Obama get his administration out of the crack that they put themselves in over KSM (mostly due to Holder’s decisions), then who is Candidate #1 to replace Holder? It’s just the way these things work.
Of course the Clinton’s kept Janet Reno onboard after a string of legal disasters. So who can say anything with certainty when it comes to socialists making managerial decisions?
I’ve not a clue who might succeed him but have heard Napolitano’s name mentioned a couple times, heaven forbid.
I guess it wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination that Adm McDonald could be the next AG. Obama could make a lot of noise about having a former military man in the spot thereby cementing his close regard for our military. /sarc
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