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| Navy Lawyer Who Faulted Guantánamo Is Reassigned |
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05/04/2009
SAN JUAN, P.R. (AP) — A Navy lawyer who clashed with superiors over defense tactics for detainees held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, has been removed from the case of a Canadian accused of killing an American soldier in Afghanistan, an official said on Saturday.
The lawyer, Lt. Cmdr. William C. Kuebler, who was appointed by the Pentagon to represent Omar Khadr, was reassigned on Friday after an internal inquiry into his conduct, said Michael Berrigan, the deputy chief defense counsel at the Navy base in Guantánamo.
In his two years on the case, Commander Kuebler campaigned for Mr. Khadr’s return to Canada to short-circuit a military tribunal system that he described as unfair. Like all Guantánamo prosecutions, the case is suspended pending a review of policies by the Obama administration.
The chief defense counsel at Guantánamo, Col. Peter Masciola of the Air Force, concluded that Commander Kuebler’s removal was necessary to pursue “a client-centered representation,” according to a statement from his office. Colonel Masciola did not immediately respond to a request for further details.
Commander Kuebler was assigned to a new post in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the Navy. He could not be reached for comment. The Canadian government is seeking more information on his dismissal, said Catherine Loubier, a spokeswoman for the foreign affairs minister.
In February, Commander Kuebler was blocked from traveling to meet Mr. Khadr at Guantánamo amid the internal investigation, which he said was related to his criticism of Colonel Masciola’s management.
He complained about Colonel Masciola’s cooperation with the review of Guantánamo cases that was intended to decide whether the cases should be tried in civilian or military courts or some combination of the two.
“I don’t want to make it easier for the government to prosecute my client,” he said at the time. “I want my client to be released.”
SOURCE: New York Times
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