Former Critic of Military Tribunals is Now the Chief Judge at Gitmo

Back in 2002, a master's degree candidate at the Naval War College wrote a paper on the Bush administration's plan to use military commissions to try Guantanamo suspects, concluding that "even a good military tribunal is a bad idea." It drew little notice at the time, but the paper has gained a second life because of its author's big promotion: Col. Ralph H. Kohlmann of the Marines is now the chief judge of the military commissions at the naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The system, Judge Kohlmann wrote in 2002, would face criticism for the "apparent lack of independence" of military judges and would have "credibility problems," the very argument made by Guantanamo's critics. He said it would be better to try terrorism suspects in federal courts in the United States. "Unnecessary use of military tribunals in the face of reasonable international criticism," he wrote, "is an ill-advised move." The paper is becoming a reference work of sorts in the curious history of Guantanamo, which includes a number of former officials who have become outspoken critics, including several former intelligence officers and a former chief military prosecutor. Judge Kohlmann may be the only one who has switched the order, first delivering a fervent attack on Guantanamo and later becoming one of its officials.