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Colonel Says Speaking Out On Detainees Cost Him a Medal
The former chief military prosecutor for terrorism trials at Guantanamo Bay thinks the Defense Department has punished him for testifying publicly that he faced political pressure to speed up the cases and to use evidence derived from torture.Air Force Col. Morris Davis said he was denied a medal for his two years of work building military commissions cases against terrorism suspects because he resigned and later spoke out about problems in the Pentagon's Office of Military Commissions. Davis testified earlier this month at pretrial hearings for a suspected terrorist that the top legal adviser for military commissions had tampered with the prosecution and was using politics to drive critical legal issues.
Davis's dispute with Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Hartmann resulted in a military judge disqualifying Hartmann in the case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan -- an action that has led other military defense lawyers to file similar motions in cases against five men accused of taking part in the conspiracy surrounding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. An e-mail Davis wrote to defense lawyers on Tuesday, in which he said he would not cooperate in future cases, was released as part of such a motion yesterday.
Davis wrote that Pentagon officials notified him that he did "not serve honorably" as top prosecutor and would be denied the medal. Davis said he fears other reprisals before his scheduled retirement this year, despite a military judge's order that no one who testified on the matter face adverse actions.
"I tell the truth, and I get labeled as having served dishonorably," Davis said in an interview yesterday. "I'm very concerned about the chilling effect . . . on the process."
© 2008 The Washington Post
17 Comments so far
Show AllA vicious Military legal attack dog gets kenneled, and I am supposed to feel sorry for him? A person of no concience whatsoever, who was a major player in the unconstitutional and grossly immoral Military Tribunals process at the Black Hole that is Guantanamo, is now crying foul. Give me a break! He has already disgraced his Comission and Oath to the Constitution. Off with his head!
If Col Morris is looking for sympathy he should look in the dictionary between shit and syphilis.
If Col Morris is looking for sympathy he should look in the dictionary between shit and syphilis.
Doesn't the guy have enough lettuce on his chest? How long has he been in the us military? And don't they give medals for being able to tie shoelaces anymore?
Is there a Battle Ribbon for torture and war crimes?
A Kangaroo Court prosecutor gets shafted. I'm crying.
As with "Scottie Mc", this "career officer" in the most corrupt military in history, complains about not getting his "medal", for exhibiting "integrity" after five years of silence.
A least he has a future-----he can retire from the Air Farce (that's right)----and be a LAWYER--------out here in the real world----I'm sure he will have many offers coming over the phone, and fit right in with most of the others.
Bitching because he didn't receive his stupid and worthless medal? That's damn infantile nonsense.
The worst and highest-level psychopaths of the U.S. military have tons of medals; for being hellbent psychopaths, sons of the father of lies and murder, many mass-murders.
However, if they're made of gold or silver, then send the medals my way; I'll melt'em and sell the metal for some bucks. Why waste? I could use the money.
Just goes to show what some folks will do for a 'Hero' button to show the rubes back home what a great guy he was.
I wonder what McClellan's punishment will be?
I can't believe someone involved in a fake judicial process and criminal activity is actually complaining about not getting a medal for it. If he'll give me his address we can send the idiot a piece of scrap metal which represents his inner essence and deeds from the dump. I think we have come full circle and the world according to the Republicans is detached from a reality from which they will never recover. Obama must be elected to replace the criminals.
http://www.bccmeteorites.com/misconduct-planetary.html
SRD
Occasionally good people wander into the US military. But the very fact that they are good people means they can't stay there for long. A fish rots from the head down and the Pentagon is a decayed, stinking, putrid mackerel from the gills up.
Typical stupid lawyer. Participates in the torture process and absurdity of Guantanamo imperialist occupation, and then wants a medal for doing so? No, we do not need these military comments on Bush/Biden war; it is an example of the mush heads liberals who want to reprint such comments.
Oooh, poor widdle genewal, didn't get his pretty, shiny medal.
The article should have specified what medal he's talking about. Based on the Pentagon quote, "not serve honorably," it sounds like a "good conduct medal." You get one of those every few years as long as you don't rob a liquor store or piss on your CO's desk. It's sort of like the Military's perfect attendance award only not as impressive. It is certainly not a "hero button."
By denying him the medal, the Pentagon is seriously screwing the guy.
I'm not sure how simply being a prosecutor, makes this guy a monster. Perhaps these trials wouldn't be as much of a disgrace if everyone involved behaved with similar integrity. He may be no hero, but "vicious Military legal attack dog" seems a bit harsh.
I have to agree with myboysherman here. It appears that Col. Davis resigned, meaning he couldn't go along with the lies anymore. Then, he had the guts to speak out, BEFORE he's retired. I don't know that he's complaining about not having gotten a medal as much as the fact that one was withheld because he didn't "act honorably". On the contrary, he acted honorably by resigning AND speaking out. Too bad the military doesn't know what honor is anymore.
I sure wish more military personnel would speak out now instead of waiting until it's more safe, when they're retired.