Pentagon Moving Forward on Gitmo Courthouse
“Although the Pentagon estimates that no more than 80 of the 400 or so terrorism detainees here will ever be tried, it is moving forward with plans for a $125-million legal complex.
“Air Force Col. Morris Davis, chief prosecutor of the suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban supporters, says he expects to file charges against 10 to 20 prisoners soon after new trial rules are presented to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates next month.
“The Supreme Court in June found the Bush administration’s military tribunal system unconstitutional, and Congress passed the Military Commission Act in September to replace it. But less than 20% of the prisoners held here are expected to face charges under the new commissions. ‘At the end of the day, I think the total will be about 75, give or take a few,’ Davis says.
“Much of the legal work is done in Washington or in other U.S.-based offices of the military’s judicial network â not at Guantanamo Bay.
“Still, Davis says, there is just one courtroom here, in a converted air terminal that also houses legal staff and a high-security lockup. The new compound would have three courtrooms, restaurants, parking and accommodations for at least 800 people.” (LATimes)
Defeated Kansas AG Gets Second Chance On Abortion Charges
“A judge agreed Tuesday to let Kansas’ attorney general, a vocal abortion opponent, try to persuade him to reinstate charges against a well-known abortion provider.
“District Judge Paul W. Clark scheduled a hearing for Wednesday after Attorney General Phill Kline asked him to reconsider his decision to dismiss the case against Dr. George Tiller over a jurisdictional issue.
“Kline, who lost his re-election bid in November and leaves office in three weeks, filed 30 misdemeanor counts last week accusing Tiller of illegally performing 15 late-term abortions.
“On Friday, Clark dismissed the charges after Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston argued that Kline didn’t have the authority to file the charges.” (AP)
UN Imposes New Ethics Rules On Procurements
“The United Nations, stung by a growing scandal in its purchasing department, imposed job restrictions on Friday on all staff involved in buying goods and services for the world body.
“The new rules, which take effect immediately, prohibit U.N. employees involved in any aspect of procurement from soliciting or accepting a job offer from any vendor doing business with the United Nations.
“The regulations also bar departing procurement staff from seeking or accepting a job for a period of one year from anyone involved in selling goods or services or seeking to do so.
“They also prohibit former employees, for two years after leaving, from representing any third party in dealings that were part of their official responsibilities while working for the United Nations.
“The United Nations has been aware for some time of problems in its procurement activities, ‘which we are now trying to redress,’ said U.N. chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric, calling the new restrictions unprecedented. (Reuters)
Top Army Corps Officials In New Orleans Stepping Down
“Three top-ranking Army Corps of Engineers officials who led the agency’s reconstruction work after Hurricane Katrina are stepping down, prompting critics to again question whether the Corps is able to protect the city from future disasters.
“The latest retirements include two top civilians and the New Orleans district engineer. They come on the heels of the retirement of the agency’s chief, Lt. Gen. Carl A. Strock, who said in August he was leaving his post for ‘family and personal reasons.’
“The departing Corps officials dismissed suggestions that they are leaving because of criticism showered on the agency after Katrina. Forensics investigations into what caused flood walls to collapse revealed flawed work in the past largely caused the flooding of the central parts of New Orleans.
“The officials also said they are not being pushed out by the agency’s top brass.
“‘If those individuals made the decision to continue to do what they were doing, we would have been perfectly happy to allow them to do that,’ said Gene Pawlik, a Corps spokesman at the agency’s headquarters in Washington.
“But the retirements are giving critics more reasons to question the agency entrusted with rebuilding the region’s levees and flood walls and lead the effort to restore Louisiana’s badly eroded coast, which acts as a buffer against hurricanes.
“‘We’re seeing significant turnover at a time when we need consistency and experience in the leadership positions,’ said Mark Davis, executive director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, a lobbying group.” (AP)
Wallace Withdraws Judicial Nomination
“A Mississippi attorney asked President Bush to withdraw his nomination to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, saying he doesn’t believe the senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee considers him a consensus nominee.
“Jackson attorney Michael Wallace, 54, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he made the request in a letter sent late last week. The New Orleans-based 5th Circuit hears cases from Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
“Wallace wrote that he believes a majority of the Senate would consent to his nomination. However, he said that incoming Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., ‘made it clear two weeks ago that he intends to permit vacancies to be filled only with ‘consensus nominees” and that Leahy has indicated he doesn’t consider Wallace to be such a nominee.
“In February, Bush nominated Wallace to fill the 5th Circuit seat vacated by Judge Charles Pickering Sr., who left the court more than a year ago. In November, Wallace’s name was among six judicial nominations Bush resubmitted to the Senate.
“Wallace drew opposition from Democrats, civil rights groups and the American Bar Association. He said various special interests and their supporters on the committee had made up their minds before he was allowed to testify or respond to any criticism.
“Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., for whom Wallace once worked, said in a statement Tuesday that he was disappointed that ‘petty partisanship’ would keep Wallace off the court.” (AP)
Contractor’s Handguns Missing From Homeland Security Vault
“The Department of Homeland Security said yesterday that it is investigating how four handguns recently went missing from its headquarters in Northwest Washington.
Jarrod Agen, a department spokesman, said the guns belonged to Paragon Systems of Chantilly, which provides security for the department’s facility on Nebraska Avenue NW.
“‘DHS is investigating the report,’ Agen said. ‘Paragon guns do not belong to DHS nor are they under the control of DHS.'” (WaPo)
