Attorney Claims Bradley Manning Proceedings Biased

The attorney for Bradley Manning, the 23 year old Army private charged with providing secret documents to the whistleblower site WikiLeaks, sys that the military’s investigating officer needs to recuse herself from his client’s case.

Lead Defense Counsel David Coombs claims that the officer, Army Lt. Col. Paul Almanza, works for the Justice Department and is therefore under pressure from President Barack Obama to deliver a guilty verdict since Obama has publicly voiced his belief that Manning broke the law. This, he argued, will lead to a flatly unjust trial.

A hearing was held early Friday at Fort Meade in Maryland prior to the start of the actual trial. The event drew supporters of Manning, including Lt. Dan Choi, who garnered popularity as an outspoken activist for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

“We must have the truth to achieve justice — and without justice we will never see true peace,” Choi said in a statement released by the Bradley Manning Support Network. “Despite the best efforts of President Obama, troops are coming from Iraq this year because of information about the cover-up of war crimes that Bradley Manning is accused of revealing to the public.”

Manning faces more than 22 charges, including aiding the enemy, which could land Manning a life sentence.

ISAF: Iran May Have Missing Drone

Coalition forces announced Monday that they lost track of an unmanned aircraft late last week and that it may now be in Iran’s possession.

The acknowledgement comes after Iran’s state-controlled television network claimed military forces in the country shot down and retrieved a U.S. spy drone.

According to a brief statement released Monday by ISAF, a drone that was deployed over Western Afghanistan went missing late last week after its operators lost control of the vehicle.

ISAF adds that although they are currently attempting to determine the drone’s status and whereabouts, it may be the vehicle the Iranians are referencing.

Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesperson, told reporters Monday that there is no indication that the craft was fired upon, despite Iranian claims.

According to Kirby, there have been no attempts by the American government to secure the aircraft’s return to the U.S.

The Defense Department would not confirm the model of the unmanned vehicle.

Senate Passes Defense Bill With Controversial Detainee Policies

The Senate passed the Defense Authorization bill Thursday, a piece of legislation that contained new, controversial language on the treatment of detainees.

The provisions were crafted by the top members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), and would require terror suspects to be held in military custody. 

Critics charged that the language could create a situation where American citizens could be held indefinitely.

However, prior to Thursday’s final vote, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), an opponent of the original language, amended the bill to clearly state that the intention of the bill was not to usurp existing U.S. law in regards to American citizens and legal aliens.

The legislation passed by a wide 93 to 7 margin. It was opposed by Senators Tom Coburn (R-Ok.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Mike Lee (R-Ut.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) hailed the bill’s passage as a bipartisan victory.

“Today we came together to support our troops, and ensured that this nation does everything in its power to keep America safe from those who would do us harm,” Reid said in a statement.

The House passed its form of the legislation in May.

The Obama administration has been critical of the detainee language and threatened a veto last month.

Defense Bill At Standstill Over Detainee Language

By Andrea Salazar

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are at odds over a provision in the 2012 Defense Authorization bill that would place suspected terrorists under military instead of civilian custody.

The bill has divided Democrats in the Senate with most Armed Services Committee Democrats in support, but with opposition from Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senate Intelligence Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

In fact, in a joint statement earlier this month, Leahy and Feintein said the bill “will only harm the efforts of intelligence and law enforcement officials to bring to justice those who would harm Americans here and abroad.”

But, according to Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), who wrote an editorial in the Washington Post Sunday, there are exceptions to the provision.

“The bill does allow the administration, through a waiver, to hold these al-Qaeda detainees in civilian custody if it determines that would best serve national security,” the pair wrote. “Moreover, the administration has broad authority to decide who is covered by this provision and how and when such a decision is made.”

The Senate will continue debate on the bill Monday and is expected to vote on S.1867 some time this week.

Panetta Stands By Iraqi Drawdown

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta Tuesday stood by plans to remove nearly all combat troops from Iraq in the coming months, clashing with lawmakers frustrated by the decision to abandon plans to maintain a small U.S. security force.

During a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) charged that the Obama administration failed to fight hard enough during negotiations with the Iraqi government to secure immunity for combat troops left behind, a provision that the White House says was a vital to any prolonged presence.

“This administration was committed to the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and they made it happen,” McCain, the highest-ranking Republican on the panel, claimed.

In a heated exchange, Panetta noted that Iraq was sovereign nation and that the decision to deny immunity was ultimately their decision to make.

“This is not about us telling them what we’re going to do for them,” Panetta said. “This is about their country making the decision as to what is necessary.”

Panetta acknowledged that a full drawdown fell short of what many in the American government had been hoping for. However, Panetta said, there were no other alternatives in the absence of immunity.

Although removing nearly all combat troops, the State Department will maintain approximately 16,000 contractors in the country to assume the duties currently carried out by the U.S. military, including training Iraqi security forces. A small number of troops will remain in the country under the aegis of the American embassy.

The drawdown is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, but the rate of the withdrawal has been withheld by the military for security purposes.