Barack Obama pledged in 2008 to close Guantanamo Bay detention camp, an effort that failed under the pressure of intense bipartisan opposition. The Trump administration, by contrast, has signaled its eagerness to expand the number of detainees at the facility, which is also known as Gitmo. This guest panel will explore potential policy changes surrounding Guantanamo, the use of military tribunals, and the legal issues and challenges implicated.
Daniel J. Dell’Orto, who was principal deputy general counsel for the Department of Defense from June 2000 to March 2009 and the Department of Defense’s acting general counsel in 2001 and again from March 2008 to February 2009, will discuss the justification of the creation of Gitmo after the 9/11 attack and the use of military tribunals to prosecuting suspected terrorists.
Brian P. Nicholson, trial attorney in the Office of International Affairs in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, will discuss his time as an Army judge advocate general (JAG) and his most recent case as military defense counsel for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Paul Lewis, Department of Defense Special Envoy for Guantanamo Detention Closure under the Obama Administration, will discuss the logistical, legal, and political challenges implicated by the potential closure of the Guantanamo detention center. He will also offer his suggested policy changes for the future of Gitmo.
Presented with the support of the Thomas F. Fay Peace Through Law Endowment for Excellence.
Co-sponsors: Military and Veterans Law Society, International Law Society, and Future Prosecuting Attorneys Council
Originally published at law.nd.edu.