Military’s “espionage” case against Guantanamo chaplain collapses

Military’s “espionage” case against Guantanamo chaplain collapses
By Joanne Laurier
17 December 2003

The US military’s attempt to charge Captain James Yee, a Muslim army chaplain stationed at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, with espionage in connection with the illegally held detainees housed there has collapsed ignominiously.

Having scapegoated Yee, incarcerated him in harsh conditions for more than two months, and besmirched his reputation, the Army is trying to cover itself by charging the chaplain with two counts of mishandling classified documents, one of which is reportedly a term paper on Syria. His lawyers have still not been given access to the papers. He is also accused of adultery, failure to obey an order and having pornography on his government computer!

A preliminary hearing for Yee stalled after two days on December 9, when prosecutors asked for more time to examine the documents found in his luggage after he left the base. The hearing in Fort Benning, Georgia, was postponed until January 19.

Yee, 35, was once billed by Pentagon officials as part of a major spy plot. He was arrested upon arrival at the naval air station in Jacksonville, Florida, from Cuba on September 10. Custom officials believed that materials in his backpack were suspicious, possibly containing classified information.

“I am wondering how they can with a straight face persist in prosecuting him when they don’t know themselves what’s classified and what isn’t,” Yee’s civilian attorney, Eugene Fidell, told Newsday.

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http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/dec2003/yeee-d17.shtml

I honestly can't remember anywhere near this level of keystone incompetence in any other administration, ever.

Unless, this is done for some other reason. What event went down in the timeframe he was arrested and charged? Was this just a distraction?

:puke:

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