Buried evidence revealed in Guantanamo trial

I have a million things to blog about, but wasn't actually going to do so until fully over my cold. But... this can't wait.

Guantanamo. The Nazi-esque concentration camp (that's what I refer to it as anyway) in Cuba. I can't for the life of me understand why/how the US has a camp in one of the countries it hates the most. Oh wait, maybe because not many Americans can travel over and inspect the camp, since it's difficult to get back into the States after visiting Cuba (on a US passport).

Well nevertheless, news! From Cuba! That I just found out about!

Yahoo! News reported Thursday that The U.S. government has for years had secret evidence that could help a 21-year old Canadian prisoner defend himself in the Guantanamo war crimes tribunals. Yeah, they've had evidence for years and didn't release it until now. Good one ol' gov't!

Canadian citizen Omar Khadr is the son of an alleged al Qaeda financier and was 15 when he was captured after a firefight at a suspected al Qaeda compound in Afghanistan in 2002. He is accused of throwing grenades that killed a U.S. Army Sgt. and wounded other coalition soldiers. (Don't you love all the 'maybes' ?)

"Prosecutors notified prisoner Omar Khadr's military lawyer two days ago of the existence of "potentially exculpatory evidence" from a U.S. government eyewitness to the battle in Afghanistan that resulted in Khadr's capture in 2002, Navy Lt. Cmdr. William Kuebler said.

"It's an eyewitness the government has always known about," Kuebler told reporters after Khadr was arraigned for the third time on charges of killing a U.S. soldier. "This is something that was buried because nobody ever looked."

It was unclear when military prosecutors learned about that witness and they declined to speak to reporters at the U.S. naval base in southeastern Cuba.

The evidence is secret and Kuebler would not say which government entity employed the witness."

...

"He is charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiring with al Qaeda, providing material support for terrorism and spying by conducting surveillance of U.S. military convoys in Afghanistan. He faces life in prison if convicted.

The charges were dismissed when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that President George W. Bush lacked authority to create the alternate legal system at Guantanamo.

The charges were refiled after Congress authorized a new tribunal system last year but a military judge, Army Col. Peter Brownback, dismissed them in June.

He said he lacked jurisdiction because Khadr had not been designated as an "unlawful enemy combatant" as the new law required for those tried at Guantanamo. Brownback said the distinction was crucial because international law requires other types of trial for lawful combatants.

A newly convened military appeals court reinstated the charges and ruled that Brownback himself had authority to decide whether Khadr was an "unlawful" combatant."

The entire Yahoo article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071108/ts_nm/guantanamo_canadian_dc