Thursday, March 4, 2010

ABA denounces Cheney "al Qaeda 7" attack on lawyers for Gitmo detainees


Liz Cheney denies that the video her outfit produced challenges anyone's loyalty.  But the still above shows that to be utterly hypocritical.  Doubt that?  Watch the video.  And then ask "have you, Maa'm, no shame?"   


Fortunately American Bar Association President  Carolyn Lamm was unequivocal in her denunciation of Cheney's attack.  Cheney labeled as the Al Quaeda 7 lawyers now at the U.S. Department of Justice who represented  men detained indefinitely without charge at Guantanamo  during the Bush-Cheney version of the "war on terror".  Her statement follows:


"A fundamental tenet of our justice system is that any one who faces loss of liberty has a right to legal counsel. Lawyers have an ethical obligation to uphold that principle and provide representation to people who otherwise would stand alone against the power and resources of the government--even to those accused of heinous crimes against this nation in the name of causes that evoke our contempt.
The American people understand this obligation, and the corollary principle that representing a client is a commitment to a legal system that requires justice, not to any one client's political, economic, social or moral views or activities. Impugning the character of lawyers who have sought to protect the fundamental rights of unpopular clients is a divisive and diversionary tactic."

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