'Insane' Gitmo Rules Frustrate Lawyers

Lawyers for the five Guantanamo prisoners facing military tribunals find themselves drowning in red tape, with security rules undermining even the most basic proceedings, Reuters reports. From office supplies to legal backup for the three detainees representing themselves, support is hard to come by. "You have from the sublime to the ridiculous," says one lawyer. "You have from the mundane to the serious and significant."

The prisoners can’t see classified evidence that might exonerate them, and prosecutors don’t have to present it in court. The question of translating documents into Arabic is up in the air, as are the logistics of communication between detainees and the judge. "And at the end of this, the government’s desire is to execute" his client, says another lawyer. “I find that just insane.” (More Guantanamo Bay stories.)