It would be an irony, albeit of the satisfyingly-sweet variety, if Darth Vader himself was brought down by violating an order of the kangaroo court widely considered to be of his own device.
I believe it’s safe to say that releasing time-sensitive, politically expedient, classified material has been part of the greater modus operandi of Vice President Dick Cheney from day one of this scofflaw misadministration. By now, we expect the leaks. So, the colossal conundrum facing the American people has been in proving Cheney’s culpability in the release of these selective leaks, compounded by the lack of initiative to hold him accountable demonstrated on a regular basis by our ever-capitulating Congress.
In any event, outside of divine intervention, it’s going to take extraordinary help from outside the D.C. bubble if we’re ever to cut through the thick, multiple-layered criminality lying beneath the surface of this caustic cesspool of corruption that We the People are forced to call our government.
But, perhaps, that outside help has finally arrived.
Let there be no mistake about it; it’s not going to be easy for U.S. military advocate Lieutenant Commander Bill Kuebler to investigate Cheney’s integral role in the release of a classified video of his client, [Canadian citizen] Omar Khadr purportedly building a bomb. In fact, barring a miracle, (or impeachment) holding Mr. Cheney accountable for his crime(s) in the Khadr case will be next to impossible. But, unlike our contemptible Congress, to some people, the pursuit of justice is a worthy cause regardless of its perceived outcome. If proven, the allegation would be a clear violation of court orders and further proof that the process by which Mr. Khadr is being tried is a political show trial, not a legal one, his military lawyer says.
Canada’s Globe & Mail has the story:
In an interview with The Globe and Mail Monday night, Lieutenant Commander Bill Kuebler said he is trying to find out how a highly secret video showing Mr. Khadr in Afghanistan was leaked to the U.S. news program 60 Minutes. The video appears to show Mr. Khadr building a bomb.
The news program aired the footage last November.
Lt.-Cmdr Kuebler, Mr. Khadr's top U.S. military lawyer, said he met with Colonel Morris Davis, the previous top prosecutor of military commissions – the body that is expected to try Mr. Khadr in Guantanamo Bay later this year – last week.
At the meeting, Lt.-Cmdr. Kuebler asked the Colonel where he thought the leak may have come from. In response, Lt. Cmdr. Kuebler said, Col. Davis offered the opinion that the Vice-President's office may have been involved.
Lieutenant Commander Kuebler replaced Colonel Davis as chief Gitmo prosecutor last October, citing extreme political pressure as interfering with his cases.
If the allegation that the Vice-President's office was involved in the leak is proven to be true, it would be a violation of the protective orders imposed on evidence in the case, Lt. Cmdr. Kuebler said.
But he added that it would also show the length that the government is prepared to go to prejudice the public against the detained Canadian.
Lt.-Cmdr. Kuebler said the prosecution had wanted to play the tape in court – in view of the media – late last year, but the request was denied by a judge. A few weeks later, 60 Minutes had the report.
Kuebler states emphatically that he believes the video was indeed leaked for political expediency-sake, and that he agrees with Col. Davis, who told him it was unlikely a junior officer would be the one to leak it.
Khadr does face multiple charges, including murder, stemming from a connection to a 2002 firefight in Afghanistan in which a U.S. soldier was killed. The actual trial is not expected to begin until later this year but pretrial motions have already started.
If found guilty, Omar Khadr -- age 15 at the time -- faces a life sentence.
Listen, Khadr could very well be guilty as charged. But, for me the issue transcends guilt or innocence. The worldwide publicity this case has garnered, not to mention the amount of time already spent behind bars, dictates an open and fair trial with due process; the kind of trial that cannot be achieved at Gitmo – plain and simple.
Both Clinton and Obama have talked about closing Gitmo for good and let’s hope he/she follows through with that. Perhaps, it’s possible that Kuebler could slow down his investigation, milking the clock until next January, I don’t know, but even alleged terrorists deserve a fair trial.
Stay tuned...
Peace