Religion a bedrock for top Naval lawyer, critic of Guantanamo

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1712&dept_id=24361&newsid=14318672&PAG=461&rfi=9

CONCORD, N.H. -- Faith may move mountains, but John Hutson would settle for it merely moving the hearts of men.

The 58-year-old retired rear admiral is the Navy's former top lawyer and the dean of Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord. Since 2003, he has been fighting the Bush administration in court, in Congress and in the court of public opinion, arguing the White House set the stage for torturing prisoners and other abuses in the war against terrorism.

"We will be generations trying to get back our self-respect, most importantly, but also the respect of our allies and our enemies," Hutson said in a recent interview. "As a result of what's happened over the past couple of years, we've taken a big step down the slippery slope from the high road to the low road."

He opposed Alberto Gonzales' confirmation as U.S. attorney general, calling him a chief architect of flawed policies. Hutson also is co-counsel on a lawsuit filed against Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld alleging U.S. forces tortured eight men in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gonzales and other administration officials have denied condoning torture and have denied sending prisoners to other nations that allow it. Hutson has remained firm, saying interrogation practices at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere have crossed into torture.

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[BeFree]

1. Another...

...American hero. His interest's remain in what is good for the country, now and forever.

Imagine the heat this guy is getting..... I hope he lives long and prospers.

[teryang]

2. Where do we find more people like this?

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[atreides1]

3. The Problem

Isn't in finding more people like this, the problem is the coporate owned media that refuses to even talk to people like this man.

As a former soldier I would be more then willing to follow this man and the other men and women like him, these are the kind of leaders that I had when I was serving in the US Army.

Don't get me wrong, I was commanded by some real losers also, but leaders like this man made up for it.

[teryang]

4. The man is engaging the problem in the courts directly

The press is largely irrelevant to that struggle.

Some people (lawyers) can really engage this regime in the courts if they have the guts AND the resources to do it. Whether the press noticed it or not really wouldn't matter. When the decision day arrives in Federal court, the press has to notice because real power is being exercised.

It isn't about following either, it's about doing.