Thomas Hartmann, the "legal advisor" to the Gitmo show trials who has already been forbidden from involvement with two Gitmo cases because of his bias, just failed upwards: he has been named Director of Operations for the show trials (h/t scribe).
Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Hartmann was named to the newly created position of director of operations, planning and development for military commissions, as the trials are called.
The new job takes Hartmann away from direct supervision of the prosecution. The former chief prosecutor, Air Force Col. Morris Davis, and others had accused the general of pushing for prosecutions that would captivate the public for political gain, even before the detainees were ready to be charged.
The AP cites Davis, Deputy Chief Defense Counsel Michael Berrigan, and a Human Rights Watch lawyer, all saying the move of promoting Hartmann up isn’t enough–he’ll still be around to "monkey around" and taint the already tainted military commissions.
Those doubts are well-founded. Hartmann sounds like this move has only made him more determined to build a nice little show trial industry down at Gitmo.
In an interview, Hartmann put his transfer in a positive light.
"I feel like it’s an elevation, a promotion, because it recognizes … the exponential growth of the commissions," Hartmann said.
[snip]
Hartmann said he is proud of the way he has helped move the trials forward and intends to keep doing so in his new role.
"We are not going to wilt under pressure," he said.
Goodie. After destroying our credibility overseas and ensuring the exponential collapse of our economic system, about the only growth industry coming from the Bush Administration is in show trials.