Kangaroos would be ashamed of this behavior.

What a (further) disgrace.

This is the one I read yesterday.

Give them each a check and fly them home. Not much else I want to say.

That's just amazing.

What's striking is that, at this stage of the game, they know they're in the wrong, and what's more, they know that everybody else knows it too. And the impulse is to close ranks and to circle the wagons and even to intensify the wrongdoing.

I guess that's the normal logic of the power of institutions. But the military has more power (because less external input/oversight) than most other institutions.

Is this part of what seems to be an attempt get some terrorism convictions out of Gitmo in time to help with the election.

5: In some ways it's the 2008 version of the 2004 color-coded alert system. Only with direct consequences for actual people's lives.

6 was supposed to say "it seems like it's." It's hard to fight the inclination to hedge.

I guess that's the normal logic of the power of institutions. But the military has more power (because less external input/oversight) than most other institutions.

My impression is that longer term career military people have been fighting the administration on this while the newer people closer to the Bush admin are the ones trying to push the proceedings* through. My impression is also that there's been a lot of bureaucratic manipulation to get the Bush people in positions of being able to appoint/remove/overrule others.

*I'm trying to avoid the word trial.

Here's a snippet from the House of Commons. Our friends to the north aren't exactly covering themselves in glory here (although it ill behooves an American to point this out):

Hon. Bob Rae: Mr. Chair, there was a press report this afternoon that the military judge in the Omar Khadr case has in fact been dismissed because, according to the press report, he was seen to have been critical of the prosecution for its having not disclosed information to the defendant. I wonder if the government can tell us what it will take with respect to the prosecution of this case in the United States. They have dismissed the issue of child soldiers, which we have raised consistently. They have now dismissed the military judge in this case. What exactly will it take for Canada to intervene the way every other country has in seeking to repatriate people who are still in Guantanamo?

Mr. Deepak Obhrai: Mr. Chair, as I have stated, Mr. Khadr faces very serious charges in relation to his being captured in Afghanistan: murder in violation of the laws of war and attempted murder in violation of the laws of war, conspiracy, providing material support for terrorism, spying. As we know, Mr. Khadr has been going through an appeal process and legal process in the U.S. We will wait to see the outcome of the legal process to deal with this. The Government of Canada is providing Mr. Khadr with consular services and making sure that he is treated humanely.

Hon. Bob Rae: Mr. Chair, I wonder if the parliamentary secretary can tell me, what is two plus two?

Mr. Deepak Obhrai: I do understand, Mr. Chair, that this is about estimates, and estimates mean money, and money means counting. He has asked what is two plus two, so I can tell him it is four.

Hon. Bob Rae: Mr. Chair, the reason I asked the question is that I wanted to know whether or not the government members could actually answer a question in a direct fashion. I am glad to say that they are able to answer a direct question. Perhaps I could ask the parliamentary secretary, was he aware that the judge in the Khadr case had been dismissed? Were you aware of that?

The Deputy Chair: I am not recognizing the hon. member yet. The hon. member for Toronto Centre, as much as he has been a member of four parliaments so far, he is a member of the Privy Council, he is a front bencher, and he used the second person. I have asked him not to do that. We ask questions in the third person. We only have two and a half minutes left. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Deepak Obhrai: Mr. Chair, this development happened today and is in the news today. To answer his question, we have not been avoiding the question. We have been answering the question. We have been answering the same question every day they have been asking it. I do not know why the member says we are not answering his question. We are answering his question. Let me say again that Canada is providing consular services to Mr. Khadr, departmental services to ensure his well-being and that he is being treated humanely.

Hon. Bob Rae: Mr. Chair, perhaps the parliamentary secretary could try to answer the question since he now says he was aware of it and the government has been aware of it. Can the parliamentary secretary answer the question? Does the fact that the judge in this case has been dismissed affect in any way the attitude of the Canadian government with respect to the treatment of Omar Khadr? What is the answer?

Mr. Deepak Obhrai: Mr. Chair, I know the member is a new member of the Liberal Party. He was a former NDP premier of Ontario. I want to tell him that we are applying the same policy that was put in place by the previous government in 2002. Any questions regarding whether Canada plans to ask for the release of Omar Khadr are premature and speculative as the legal process is still going on. Whether the judge has been dismissed or not, it is still going on.

The Deputy Chair: The hon. member for Toronto Centre. There is one minute for both the question and the answer.

Hon. Bob Rae: Mr. Chair, would the government not agree that the dismissal of the judge in the case on the grounds that the military has taken represents a significant new development in the Khadr case?

Mr. Deepak Obhrai: Mr. Chair, I am not going to comment on a judicial process in another country.

This is too upsetting for me to say anything constructive, so I'll ask for ideas instead. I was talking with a friend today about where to donate our stimulus payments. Some to the Center for Constitutional Rights, I'm thinking. Where else? (I'm asking specifically on issues related to those in this post; I know plenty of lovely organizations throughout the nonprofit world that would make good use of the money in general.)

CCR is doing a hell of a job on Gitmo litigation. My second suggestion would be Reprieve. Disclaimer: I see what these folks are doing in the representation, and cannot vouch for their administrative & accounting prowess.

And speaking of which, here's Clive (the Repreive guy) on the release (pdf) of journalist Sami al Haj.

This headline doesn't hedge.

(although it ill behooves an American to point this out)

Eh, go right ahead. Corporate whores and GOP-wannabes deserve no undue respect, and certainly no special treatment. Bob Rae is good people, but not enough people take him seriously, of course.

The Canadian Supreme Court ruled in Khadr's favor, at least.

Our friends to the north aren't exactly covering themselves in glory here.

There are those who think that Cheney and Bush are, at a deep level, merely Canadian puppets.

Careful John, Canadians are very sensitive about puppets.

These actions are completely in keeping with the official policy of our government, as explicitly stated by Pentagon general counsel William Haynes: "We can't have acquittals. We've got to have convictions. We can't hold these men for five years and then have acquittals."

If McCain wins the election, there will be a mysterious fire at Guantanamo Bay the night before his inauguration that kills all of the detainees -- problem solved!

If Obama wins, he will inherit the entire ball of wax.