Censors come out at Gitmo war crimes hearing

[Snazzy]

Source: The Associated Press

Censors come out at Gitmo war crimes hearing

By BEN FOX (AP) – 10 hours ago

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba — A reference to harsh treatment at CIA prisons brought out Guantanamo's censors Thursday as an official of the war crimes court abruptly cut the sound to prevent spectators from hearing classified information.

Cmdr. Suzanne Lachelier, a lawyer appointed by the Pentagon to defend 9/11 suspect Ramzi bin al Shibh, began discussing the prisoner's treatment before he was taken to Guantanamo in September 2006 when the censor hit the switch.

"The government can't hide the fact that they used sleep deprivation ..." Lachelier said before she was cut off and the sound of static filled a soundproof spectator section in the courtroom and a separate media viewing room. There is a 40-second delay in the spectator and media rooms.

U.S. authorities have cut the sound several times in the past to protect classified information and have held many hearings in private.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iCpAiXsS28ctqTC-AqtM0twgv0HQD99FOHI00

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Reuters:

Guantanamo hearing for Sept. 11 suspects held up

By Jim Loney

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba, July 16 (Reuters) - The Guantanamo war court stalled again on Thursday when the five men accused of the Sept 11. attacks refused to leave their cells for a hearing at the remote U.S. base in Cuba where they are being held.

...

COURT CENSORSHIP

A court censor cut off Lachelier when she began talking about Binalshibh's complaints that he had been subjected to sleep deprivation, which critics have derided as an abusive technique used to soften prisoners for interrogation.

"The government can't hide the fact that they used sleep deprivation ..., " Lachelier said before the audio feed to observers and reporters outside the courtroom was cut off.

...

The Pentagon flew nearly 180 people -- judges, lawyers, interpreters, court reporters, observers and journalists -- from Washington to Guantanamo for two days of hearings in the controversial war court, created by former President George W. Bush to try suspects in his war on terrorism.

....

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN16401308

[frog92969]

1. Classified = Incriminating

It's a truly disgusting time to be an American.

The world already knows we're a human rights cesspit.
Who are they trying to hide it from?

[ScottLand]

5. And even worse is

the fact that we judge others for their human rights abuses.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. There were the Nuremberg Trials. Have they forgotten?!

Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it... :banghead:

Welcome to DU, ScottLand! It's great to have you with us! :toast:

[ScottLand]

7. Thanks, Rhiannon

I'm glad to be here. You're absolutely right. History can teach us as much about the present as the past. I feel that the only way we can ever have any semblance of decency in this government is to have a Nuremberg-style assembly. The pattern of our leaders operating above the law is nothing new by any stretch.

[Rhiannon12866]

9. I know that Obama has a full plate, but the law is the law.

Bush*-Cheney totally ignored the law and this administration would not be doing its duty by the American people if they take no action on this. They lied to the American people, defied or ignored the law and need to be held accountable. History demands it, and this country deserves it. :grr:

And you're absolutely right. Does no one remember Nixon?! It's not like Watergate is buried in history... He believed that whatever the president chose to do was not illegal. Seems like Bush*-Cheney believed the same thing. And what happened to Nixon, for lesser crimes, IMHO? :banghead:

So glad you found us, ScottLand! :hi:

[IndianaGreen]

10. We are the new Nazis

Nuremberg trials for the war criminals!

[sabrina 1]

2. Shame on them.

The world knows what they did. Torture cannot be classified information, it is a war crime. If they did nothing wrong, they have nothing to hide. How much longer will it take to bring these criminals to justice and restore the reputation of this country? Sometimes I think maybe never.

[Solly Mack]

3. I suppose if one classifies a war crime then it didn't take place

Disgusting

[ScottLand]

4. There's still too many people

in the USA that think this treatment was justified. There needs to be a new strategy for publicising how truly terrible this is. It will be like the Kennedy assassination - thirty or forty years from now, everyone will agree that it was shameful but so what - it was years ago. It's now or never.

[bvar22]

8. K&R

+8