Reuters: Law groups want Pentagon official fired (boycott of defense lawyers)

[Eugene]

Law groups want Pentagon official fired

By JoAnne Allen Tue Jan 16, 9:01 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior Pentagon official should be fired for suggesting
a boycott of American law firms defending detainees at the U.S. military prison
at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, four law organizations said in a letter to President Bush
on Tuesday.

Charles Stimson, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs, said
last week in a Washington radio interview he found it "shocking" that major U.S.
law firms would agree to represent Guantanamo detainees pro bono.

Stimson predicted that those firms would suffer financially once their involvement
in Guantanamo cases was known to their corporate clients. He then listed law firms
involved in Guantanamo cases.

Stimson's remarks were aimed at "chilling the willingness" of lawyers to represent
Guantanamo detainees and were contrary to the "bedrock principles" of the right
to counsel and the presumption on innocence, read the letter signed by the
American Association of Jurists, the International Association of Democratic
Lawyers, the National Lawyers Guild and the Society of American Law Teachers.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070117/ts_nm/guantanam0_detainees_lawyers_dc_1

[IndianaGreen]

1. Jonathan Turley characterized Stimson's remarks as vile!

Turley also said that John Adams would have been attacked for defending the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre (that event merited a chapter in John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage).

[Kagemusha]

2. ...You're saying John Adams WASN'T attacked for that?

Color me surprised.

[IndianaGreen]

3. Adams was attacked for that, but he didn't have a government

that would threaten his livelihood for just defending the British soldiers.

[hughee99]

4. Is the government threating their livelihood?

While I don't like what the guy said, I didn't see anything about the GOVERNMENT threatening anyone's livelihood.

[w4rma]

5. That is what a government blacklist is. (nt)

[hughee99]

8. A government blacklist is what?

Is this clown saying the government is not going to do business with these law firms? Is he saying that the government is not going to do business with anyone who hires these law firms? Is he saying that the government is going to shut down these law firms, or that they're going to shut down anyone who hires them? I thought that was what a blacklist was? Clearly this is an attempt at intimidation, but there's no teeth behind it. The most effective thing he could try to do (which seems to be what he is trying to do) is to inform the public about who these law firms are, who the companies who hire them are, and hope that the people will apply the pressure.

[w4rma]

9. Yes, the clown is threating their livelihood by saying the government is not going to do buisness

with these law firms.

[hughee99]

14. Where exactly did he say the government

is not going to do business with these law firms? I saw no reference in any of his statements to any action the GOVERNMENT is going to take.

[w4rma]

16. The boycott he threatens them with is a boycott from the government. (nt)

[hughee99]

17. So again I ask

where did he say anything about any action the government is going to take, or are you just inferring more from his statement than I am?

[w4rma]

21. That type of stuff is usually inferred with threats. The threatened are knowledgable enough about

their own trade to know how the threat can be accomplished. These lawyers know how they can be unfairly treated.

[Kagemusha]

6. It's a little much for the govt to call for an economic boycott.

I can't call that anything but McCarthyism.

[AnneD]

19. And that is the sign of...

a healthy Democracy. Adams defended many that had no rights, just to prove we WERE a Democracy. He also defended the blacks on the slave ship Armistad. That went over well too.:sarcasm: Sometimes, being a true patriot means sticking your neck out and defending what is not popular or go against what is traditional. And look at MLK. Second class citizenship was socially accepted, and MLK was threatened and arrested at worst, demonized at best. But he was right, just as Adams was right, and just as these lawyers are right in representing these folks.

I don't like child predators or rapist, and I am not too fond of terrorist-but I live in a democracy. I grit my teeth and extend them the same legal advice that I expect. That is practice of democracy.

[KeepItReal]

7. Yeah!! Go get 'em!!

But contrary-azzed Bush & Co. will probably *promote* that clown.

[Tellurian]

18. Stimson, a whacked out zealot...

is spilling the beans, as most zealots on a power trip usually do.

He's actually done the prisoners a favor by revealing how the Pentagon
intends treating pro-bono representation.

[Eugene]

10. Update: Pentagon official apologizes to detainees' lawyers

DU thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x257415

News report: Pentagon official apologizes to detainees' lawyers - Reuters

(Washington Post)

An Apology to Detainees' Attorneys

Wednesday, January 17, 2007; Page A18

During a radio interview last week, I brought up the topic of pro bono work
and habeas corpus representation of detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Regrettably, my comments left the impression that I question the integrity
of those engaged in the zealous defense of detainees in Guantanamo.
I do not.

-snip-

I apologize for what I said and to those lawyers and law firms who are
representing clients at Guantanamo. I hope that my record of public service
makes clear that those comments do not reflect my core beliefs.

CULLY STIMSON

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs

Defense Department

Washington

Full Letter to the Editor: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/16/AR2007011601383.html

[habitual]

11. letter never would have been written had this not been

reported about.

Once again, say sorry for being exposed as a bully rather than sorry for being a bully.

[annabanana]

13. "those comments do not reflect my core beliefs"

Yeah, Ok. Whatever. :eyes:

[Supersedeas]

20. I said it and I am sorry that you do not like it -- still waiting on corp client response with a

smile

[krispos42]

12. James Baker's law firm works for the Bin Laden family

So Rhandi Rhodes says, so it must be true.

Funny how it never gets any airtime, huh?

[leesa]

15. He successfully prosecuted the 9-11 family survivor's case against

the Saudi Royal family when they were trying to follow the terrorist money trail. He jumped right to their aide to cover up that trail.