Military Tribunals May Ban Torture Evidence

[Fleshdancer]

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,91944,00.html?ESRC=army-a.nl

Washington D.C. - The Defense Department is considering issuing new instructions to military commissions that specifically prohibit the admission of evidence that's been obtained by torture, a senior DoD official told reporters here today.

"This has been one area where there has been some concern raised, and so the department is taking a look at it and may issue a separate instruction on it," DoD spokesman Bryan Whitman told Pentagon reporters.

(break)

And, "should prosecutors find credible evidence of torture in their development of future commission cases, the prosecution has stated that such evidence would not be offered at trial," Whitman said.

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on edit: I misread the article initially. Sorry!

[cantstandbush]

1. Our nation is going down the tubes fast. Not a place to be proud of.

[Fleshdancer]

5. remember back in the semi-good ol' days?

Yes, I was shocked and angry after the 2000 election, but I was smug in my confidence that America wouldn't dare re-elect this idiot. I knew things would get a little bad before it got better but I wasn't prepared for this. In 6 years, this is what our country has become. I was angry. Now I'm getting scared.

[Inland]

2. The torture that never happens. nt

[Canuckistanian]

3. So, there goes the last shred of oversight

No evidence of torture, no convictions about torture.

Very neatly done.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

4. Why "damn"? Isn't this good? It is saying that evidence AGAINST the

TORTURED suspects is inadmissible, not that evidence OF torture itself is not allowed anywhere.

In theory, this should provide an incentive against US personnel using torture to get information, at least for trials. As if common decency and humanity weren't enough, and I guess they aren't...

[Fleshdancer]

6. mea culpa

I misread the article! This is a sigh of relief. :)

[bullimiami]

7. may?