Prof. Lisa Hajjar’s live report from Guantanamo on the case of Omar Khadr; PBC on US Troops smoking hash in Afghanistan, an email from a Zionist who says moderates are extreme, and William Cohan’s plan to reform Wall St. Plus Gary Chew reviews The Pat Tillman Story. Prof. Hajjar teaches sociology at UC Santa Barbara. This is her second trip to Guantanamo this year to cover the case of Omar Khadr, a Canadian who was 14 when taken into US custody in Afghanistan. The bizarre military commission scheme took a new twist as Khadr accepted a plea bargain as the trial was due to start. Hajjar reports on the effort to create new law around Khadr’s case, and our government’s weak case based on his admissions–likely obtained during torture. With the plea deal, Hajjar reports on the sentencing phase, as “commisioners” (military officers serving as a jury) weigh evidence, including prejudicial testimony from a government-paid psychiatrist. See Prof. Hajjar’s Gitmo photos here. Then PBC talks about clippings and correspondence, related to Private Stoner’s accusations of widespread pot and hashish use in his unit, with a musical statement from The Stranglers; the rantings of an extreme Zionist and his meddling in US elections; and Cohan’s simple plan to require Wall St. execs to put their own assets on the line. And Chew reviews The Pat Tillman Story (at 59:10).
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