Retired Military Leaders Call on Obama Administration to Abandon Military Commissions, Defend the Rule of Law

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Washington, DC – Yesterday, three of the nation’s respected retired military leaders called on President Barack Obama to abandon the use of military commissions to try those held at Guantanamo Bay.  Vice Admiral Lee F. Gunn, USN (Ret.), Rear Admiral John D. Hutson, USN (Ret.), and Brigadier General James P. Cullen, USA (Ret.) urged the President to fulfill his campaign promise to use civilian courts or military courts martial to ensure America can regain the moral high ground in its fight against terrorism.

“According to the Army’s 2006 Counterinsurgency Manual, we must demonstrate an unequivocal commitment to upholding the rule of law and basic principles of human rights,” the military leaders wrote. “We urge you not to make a costly step in the opposition direction by reinstating military commissions at Guantanamo or embracing a policy of prolonged detention without trial.”

The letter also stated that the military commissions system, even with added procedural safeguards, cannot provide the “swift and sure justice” that President Obama recognized during his campaign is essential to “better protect the American people and our values.” Vice Admiral Gunn, Rear Admiral Hutson, and Brigadier General Cullen warned that the commissions system lacks domestic and international credibility and has shown itself to be vulnerable to unlawful command influence, manipulation and political pressure. “Reinventing commissions so deeply associated with Guantanamo Bay will merely add to the erosion of international confidence in American justice, provide more fodder for America’s enemies, and lead to prolonged challenges and years of continued litigation,” they stated.

Tomorrow, President Obama is expected to make an announcement regarding the use of military commissions.

Read the letter here.

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Vice Admiral Lee F. Gunn, USN (Ret.)

Vice Admiral Gunn served as the Inspector General of the Department of the Navy from 1997 until retirement in August 2000. Admiral Gunn's sea duty included: command of the frigate USS Barbey; command of Destroyer Squadron 31, the Navy's tactical and technical development anti-submarine warfare squadron; and command of Amphibious Group Three, supporting the First Marine Expeditionary Force in Southwest Asia and East Africa. Gunn is from Bakersfield, California and is a graduate of UCLA, having received his commission from the Naval ROTC program at UCLA in June 1965.

Rear Admiral John D. Hutson, USN (Ret.)

Rear Admiral John D. Hutson served in the U. S. Navy from 1973 to 2000. He was the Navy's Judge Advocate General from 1997 to 2000. Admiral Hutson now serves as President and Dean of the Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire. He also joined Human Rights First’s Board of Directors in 2005.

Brigadier General James P. Cullen, USA (Ret.)

Mr. Cullen is a retired Brigadier General in the United States Army Reserve Judge Advocate General's Corps and last served as the Chief Judge (IMA) of the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals. He currently practices law in New York City.

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