General is focus of Khadr hearing

Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Hartmann at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, Cuba, in a June 4, 2008 file photo. Michelle Shephard National Security Reporter GUANTANAMO BAY – Canadian detainee Omar Khadr may be the one facing the prosecution for war crimes but it was the actions of top Pentagon official Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Hartmann that were probed during pre-trial hearings this week. Hartmann was called overbearing, tactless and described as a bully who pushed through the White House’s agenda even though his job in overseeing the war crimes trials was to remain an independent legal advisor. The most dramatic statements came from Air Force Col. Moe Davis, Guantanamo’s former chief prosecutor, who testified by video from the Pentagon that Hartmann meddled in prosecutions. “In his mind he was large and in charge,” Davis... [read full story]