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A Week Long Visit to the Military Tribunal

  This past week my wife and I had the privllige of attending the pre-trial hearings of the five men accused of being involved with the death of 3000 people on September 11th, 2001. Those who perished were often referred to as the first victims of the War on Terror, contrary to what the five defense team lawyers claimed. 
The week was difficult for JoAnn and I, having lost a daughter on 9/11, Colleen was only 26, a newly wed, the dismemberment of her body, the manner of her death will remain with us always. For families that speak in terms of body parts found and not found, of having only parts of a loved one returned or no remains at all, even after 12 years, it is hard to respond to questions from reporters who ask how we feel about water-boarding or enhanced interrogation methods.
For those that have claimed to endure such methods are alive and well, and still in large over stuffed lounge chairs in their waiting cells, they recieve medical care, clean clothes, special prayer rugs to pray five times a day, and can complain of offenses such as loud noises, food without olives or other condiments  for thier specially prepared meals.
The defense lawyers, both civilian and military, argue to delay by questioning ever order and procedure contained in the creation of the Tribunal system.
A sytem which is based on components of the American civil legal system and the Amercian Military Code of Justice, a hybrid sysem they bring into question, but one which from an observer's point of view affords the defendents more protections than those accused of capital crimes in the United States may recieve.  
  We should not allow these defendents the opportunity to recruit and subvert  prison populations in the United States, and create more of the same mindset who seek to do harm to this country. My hope is that all of these challenges will be decided by the end of this year, and the actual trial will commence in 2014.
Justice for the victims, whom we should never forget, did not end with the death of Osma Bin Ladin, we swore an oath to bring to justice all those responsible for the death of all who perished on 9/11 in two towers, in the hi-jacked airliners and the Pentagon in Washington D.C.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST THERE ARE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS OUR THANKS TO THE TEAM THAT GUIDED US,ESCORTED US AND LISTENED
TO OUR STORIES, THEY WATCHED OVER US, BROKE BREAD WITH US, AND PRAYED WITH US. THEY HAVE BECOME MEMBERS OF OUR EXTENDED FAMILY.
GOD BLESS AND PROTECT THEM ALL !



The photo above shows JoAnn reading letters of thanks to some of the men and women in GITMO written by local children and members of Christ Church of Toms River, NJ, and other 9/11 family members.



For more information about this week  to see the cour rooms;
http://www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil/xWEBSITE/commissions/courtroom_s.html

to hear & view the press conference:
http://www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil/xWEBSITE/video/video.html

To read the AP Press article:
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/08/24/3665091/relief-in-guantanamo...

To see the cour room artist work:
http://hamlinillustration.blogspot.com/2013/08/august-23-2013-guantanamo-911-pretrial.html




















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