Author: TSO

Dude, this is all kinds of fun.  Ramzi bin al Shibh is claiming that Navy food here is psychological terror.  Now, he can willingly give up his right to be here and listen to the case, but he keeps saying he has to leave because the food is torture.  So, is that “willingly” in a legal sense?

I suspect we’ll get another 3 hour colloquy about the shits now.

Hoofah.

Judge is trying to figure out how the hell to deal with this one.  He is now taking another recess.   We take more recesses than a kindergarten class.

 

Fun Fact about bin al Shibh….he’s apparently been complaining for years that the US was shaking the building while he was trying to sleep.  And the prosecution and Gitmo authorities for years basically said dude is batshit.  Then this year it was discovered that the foundation is unstable under the prison, and it has been doing like micro shakes.  Like, the dude is in the matrix or some shit, made to stay awake by microvibrations.  And now his food is torture.  Lets just put his ass up in the Holiday Inn and get him some Papa Johns so we can move on with this.

Good news, he’s now leaving because he wants to go home to his cell, not because of the torturous food.

 

UPDATE: The website is acting funky, and updating here is somewhat difficult, so I am taking my snark to Twitter if there is anyone, literally anyone out there who wants to listen to my chuckles.

Tweets by TSOatTAH

 

Cross posted, remainder of post is on my actual home….

So I am posting this from Gitmo, and we are about midway of Day two on the hearings here for this week.  Or, at least in terms of time.   There are 33 seperate motions that the judge was hoping to hear arguments on, and dispense of these motions.  Bear in mind that the actual trial isn’t even close to happening.  This is preliminary motions on things like dealing with classified material, what documents will be admissable, how the defense attorneys can communicate with their clients and similiar type things.  So far we’ve barely touched on two of those motions.

On Sunday night we got a chance to talk to the defense attorneys and the prosecutor.  I have a videographer here with me (John Napolitano who is AWESOME) and he filmed them speaking.  Just to give you some context on who the folks are, the lady is Cheryl Bormann, who is defense counsel for one of the AQ Defendants.  (She is perhaps best known for her request that everyone in court wear a hijab.)  The second gentleman is Navy Commander Walter Ruiz, another defense attorney.   The general is Mark Martins, the chief prosecutor here, who’s background is astonishingly impressive.  (Former Infantry officer, Rhodes scholar, Harvard Law Grad, and Obama classmate.)

 

(more…)

Remember when Jonn live blogged the last hearings, and it sounded like a debacle?  Well, there are 33 motions before the court to address this week.  We are currently stuck on number 0.  Yup.

This morning revolved around two key issues, 1) whether Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi can speak English, and 2) why haven’t the defense attorneys signed the memorandum of understanding that the judge ordered them to sign back in January.

As for #1, I don’t want to ruin the surprise for you, but yeah, dude speaka da English just fine.  He was interviewed by 3 college educated people for 20 hours spread over 4 days a few years ago.   They asked him if he needed a terp, and he said no.  They asked if he understood his rights, he said yes.  Apparently the defense theory is he was just saying things for the sake of saying things.  You know, but for an ironic twist of fate he might not have said so much “yeah dude, I totally get what is going on here, and I am fine with it” and perhaps more so “pickles!”  Which is odd because the FBI agent this morning testified that Hawsawi was articulate and had a friendly demeanor.  Which is not what one expects when someone is yelling at you in a language you don’t speak.  For instance, if I ran up to him and started yelling in Pastun “parmak preweja” (lay down on your stomach) I’d expect the dude to look confused, or punch me in the face.  This guy was friendly.

Anyway, the part 2 was so convoluted that I’m not even going to go into it here.  I’ll just say that I was somewhat amenable to the argument the defense was making, but I haven’t read the governments response.  And because it deals with secret info, and how shit is classified, I can’t really base it on anything tangible.  Two of the lawyers seemed really rational, two seemed batshit crazy, and I was agnostic on the last attorney.  So, I don’t know.

Either way, the morning session drew to a close because Hawsawi (who you’ll recall can’t speak English, despite his being able to write English, including work documents) somehow conveyed (possibly) through interpretive dance and/or shadow puppets that he wasn’t feeling well.  Something about his neck, but I saw the dude looking around the whole time.  In fact, dude gripped his neck like Rodney Dangerfield grabbing his elbow in Caddyshack.  Not to be outdone, bin Attash (represented by the lady in the Burkha Cheryl Bormann) complained about gastroenteritis.   So, we come back from a 75 minute break, and now bin Attash is asking to be able to put on the PUP (physically unable to perform list) with Rob Gronkowski and Major Hasan’s legs.  So now the question is whether this guy having the hot squats should stop the hearings for the day, or whether they should move on without him.

So, after an hour and 15 minutes, we are waiting now on the doctor to show up and tell us how this guys bowels are doing.

Maybe more later.  More likely I’m going to go to my tent and watch episodes of Psych I have on DVD and fall asleep by 7 pm.

 

OH, BTW:  KSM looks every bit like the lunatic you would assume.  His beard is asinine.  Looks like he tried to tye dye it or something.  Just silly bad.  Also, he walks like a lego person.  I don’t really know how to describe that.  You ever seen a little person fall over and push himself back up by just using his hands?  KSM looks like that’s his preferred ambulatory method as well.

And bin Attash looks like a skinny Jerry Garcia.  Hawsawi is like the kid in the Science club at your school, and Aziz Ali looks like a stoner who is on the verge of getting very angry about the theft of his caramel corn.

 

UPDATE: Yes, we are now discussing Al Qaeda diarrhea.   So, I am sitting here listening to Bormann and the doctor discuss how long he’s had the shits, I am mentally adding to the Diarrhea song.

When you’re sitting there in court, and you have to make a squirt, diarrhea…diarrhea

When you’re lawyer wants to fight, but you just want to take a shite, diarrhea…diarrhea.

 

So yeah, I made it.  About to get the incoming briefing, which better include directions on how to get to the Irish pub, because I am in dire need of a Guinness.

If we have any readers down here, give me a shout and come enjoy a frothy one with me.

 

I used to listed to Steve Czaben everyday, and he had this funny thing where he grew up “on the mean streets of McLean Virginia” where some people were so broke they had carports and above ground swimming pools.  It always cracked me up, because McLean is about 2 lifetimes outside my price range, and that’s if I save money for once.

Anyway, this shit about Breanna Manning is absolutely killing me:

A military psychologist who treated Bradley Manning said there was no support available for him to cope with his gender identity disorder and that Manning suffered greatly in a “hyper-masculine environment” that was hostile towards gay soldiers.

Um, dude.  You served in MI.  You smuggled out the info on a Lady GaGa CD, and it didn’t draw anyone’s attention.

Seriously, name a less hyper-masculine group than MI.  I have nothing against MI, but the only people less hyper-masculine are the guys at DLI.  You could be sitting naked in a tub with Andy Dick, Antoine Dodson and Elton John while listening to Cher and stand a better than average shot of being more hyper-masculine than a random 35 series dude.

Resisting arrest, reckless driving, violation of probation, failure to obey a lawful order, assault in the second degree, violation of probation, driving in excess of reasonable and prudent speed on highway, telephone threats, assault in the second degree, resisting arrest, violation of probation, and class V incoherent usage of the English Language.  (Some of those may be duplicates, hard to tell from the documents, but you can see the source for every one of those statements in the links below.)

He’s…..back…….  Via an email…

Seavey ,   I saw what you did, While Lilyea is just stupid and cruel, I can see that you are venal and pre-meditated. You will get as you give. Since you are trying to diminish my life, I do not think you understand the well of hate you have opened.

You are of course right about Lilyea.  (I keed, I keed.) I would have added diminutive, morose, curmudgeonly, and wildly successful at what he does.  But me venal?  Are you sure that’s the word you want to use?  Because suggesting I am susceptible and predisposed towards bribery seems defamatory.  I assume you can show I have taken bribes, so I invite you to show that documentation.  See, that’s one of those things you probably shouldn’t be sending in late night emails.  I assume from “you will get as you give” means you are starting a blog to detail my interactions with the police.  Won’t that be fun.  I’m not sure you can do an entire blog on a drunk in public charge from 1993, but it is a hella funny story.  I’m not trying to diminish your life Paul, I’m trying to keep you out of mine.  If I took down posts about you that would only encourage you.  So I am using the only avenue available to me, putting the info out there so people can get the facts.  If you went away and just shut up, the Google rankings would drop away.  If you don’t click and comment on that stuff, it falls.  The only reason we show up now is because you keep firing up the situation again.  I don’t care what “well of hate” you have in you.  I just want you to leave us alone.

Why don’t you poke around the Left Coast records to see what happens to folks like you.

Is this a threat?  It’s written in such a buffoonish manner that I have no clue what you are trying to say.  I have no desire to pick through any more of your records than I have already.  Just posting up your history in Maryland has led to about 100 emails, each one more bereft of legal argument and logic than the one preceding it.  Going on 3 months and you still haven’t had a lawyer contact me.  I’m assuming that means you can’t find anyone to represent you.

Actually there are records here in DC, pre-Internet. Might want to form an idea of what happens when you fuck with someones life, the way you have, little man in Indiana.

Another threat?  I’m not that little Psul.  Again though, the only one “fucking with someones life” is you.  If you went away, this shit would die out.  You seem to want to nurture and plant fertilizer 5 nights a week at 1 in the morning.  Despite having specifically stated you were done commenting.  And more, and more, and more comments show up……

you are attmpting to ruin my worklife and career from your curb on the Internet. Of course we are going to fight back, but you are now a special 5 year exception, as the records will tell the story, if you can find them. Pretty good family story. Check out the outcome, you midwestern hick at National Archives and Lilyea at NARA.

No, I’m not.  I don’t care about your worklife, nor your career.  Don’t misconstrue apathy for malevolence.  I wouldn’t hire you to do anything, and I would assume anyone who put 5 seconds of research into you would feel the same way.  All you do is threaten people around you.  You hurt everyone around you.  Hell, you even include your wife’s email address in about half your messages to me for some reason I can’t figure out.  Last week you tried to tell me how she’s a DC attorney, and I pointed out that her bar membership is listed as inactive, and suddenly she’s not on our emails anymore.  Why’s that Paul?  Is she getting tired of you causing collateral damage to her as well?   I might have taken issue with that “midwestern hick” jibe a while back, but now, not so much.  Starting to like Indiana.

Sweet Dreams

Thanks Paul, you too.  It comes fairly easy since I have a good job, a great marriage, good friends, and a bright and optimistic future ahead of me.  You should try that.  Maybe if you let go on your “well of hate” you also could have sweet dreams.

All of this started because of you Paul.  You aren’t a victim, you are the perpetrator.  No one knew who you were until you came on here spouting nonsense about how Jonn and I were like the Nazis who killed the Jews.  And then you started putting up our SSNs and DOBs.  (I emailed you that info yesterday, but you didn’t reply.)  At every single possible step you’ve made the wrong decision.  And I suspect you will again too.  Everyone has the right to remain silent, would that you had embraced this right about 2 months ago then I wouldn’t be posting things about you.  But the only way to deal with a bully is head on.

So, here you go, reprinted so everyone will remember just what you are capable of.  Telephone threats, assault, orders of protection, resisting arrest and violation of probation.  It’s not too late to change your ways.

(NOTE:  NP means NOLLE PROSEQUI, STET: A suspension of the prosecution with the State given the opportunity to reopen the case without the need for the defendant to be recharged.)

97208C-RESIST ARREST (Guilty)

000000EP06248-ATTEMPT BY DRIVER TO ELUDE UNIFORMED POLICE BY FAILING TO STOP (NP)

107225C – ASSAULT. 2ND DEG. OFFICER, RESIST ARREST, EXCEED POSTED SPEED LIMIT, FAIL TO OBEY AN OFFICIAL RED SIGNAL, FAIL TO OBEY LAWFUL ORDER, RECKLESS DRIVING (2x), DRIVER TO ELUDE POLICE ON FOOT/ATT, VIOLATION OF PROBATION (Guilty as to Reckless Driving and Violation of Probation, rest are NP)

2D00115803 – ASSAULT-FIRST DEGREE, ASSAULT-SEC DEGREE (2x), FALSE STATEMENT TO OFFICER, HINDERING/OBSTRUCTING (This Document is Statement of Charges)

4D00126067 – RESISTING ARREST(2x) (This Document is Statement of Charges)

5D00105649 – ASSAULT-SEC DEGREE, RESISTING ARREST (This Document is Statement of Charges)

5D00187612- ASSAULT-FIRST DEGREE, ASSAULT SEC DEG-LAW ENFORCMENT OFC, RESISTING ARREST (This Document is Statement of Charges)

82639C – MOTOR VEH BO-JURY – ELUDE A POLICE OFFICER/ATT, FAIL TO OBEY AN OFFICIAL RED SIGNAL, FAIL TO KEEP TO RIGHT OF CENTER, IMPROPER TURN (RIGHT OR LEFT), FAIL TO OBEY LAWFUL ORDER, RECKLESS DRIVING (Guilty to all save eluding to police officer which is NP)

94377C – ASSAULT SECOND DEGREE, RESIST ARREST, VIOLATION OF PROBATION (Guilty on 1st Charge, NP on second, Guilty on VOP)

94706C – ASSAULT SECOND DEGREE, FALSE STATEMENT TO PEACE OFFICER, OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE, VIOLATION OF PROBATION (NP, Guilty of False Statement to Peace Officer, NP, Guilty of Violation of Probation)

000000HV40801 – DRIVING VEH IN EXCESS OF REASONABLE AND PRUDENT SPEED ON HWY  (Guilty)

0D00030030 – TELEPHONE MISUSE:REPEAT CALLS, TELEPHONE THREATS (NP on charge 1, Guilty as to making Telephone Threats)

0D00047887 – ASSAULT-SEC DEGREE (2x)  (Guilty on 1, STET on second)

1D00087613 – ASSAULT-SEC DEGREE, RESISTING ARREST (NP, NP)

5D00048655 – FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE — VA (Warrant issued 10/16/1997)

5D00126040 – MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION PROP VALUE + $500, DISTURB THE PEACE  (STET on both)

0601SP005732006 – PEACE ORDER (TEMPORARY PEACE ORDER ISSUED, RELIEF GRANTED: SHALL NOT COMMIT A PROHIBITED ACT; SHALL NOT CONTACT PETITIONER ; SHALL NOT ENTER RESIDENCE OF PETITIONER; SHALL STAY AWAY FROM PETITIONER)

0601SP026222002 – PEACE ORDER  (TEMPORARY PEACE ORDER ISSUED, RELIEF GRANTED: SHALL NOT COMMIT A PROHIBITED ACT; SHALL NOT CONTACT PETITIONER ; SHALL NOT ENTER RESIDENCE OF PETITIONER; SHALL STAY AWAY FROM PETITIONER)

0602SP006232007 – PEACE ORDER  COURT ORDERS: SHALL NOT ABUSE, SHALL NOT CONTACT, SHALL NOT ENTER RESIDENCE, SHALL STAY AWAY FROM EMPLOYMENT.  Second hearing Peace Order denied.

107541C – ASSAULT SECOND DEGREE, RESIST ARREST, VIOLATION OF PROBATION (NP, Guilty, Guilty)

DEFENDANT WAS ASKED IF HE HAD ANYTHING TO SAY BEFORE SENTENCING. COURT (SAVAGE, J.) SENTENCES DEFENDANT TO THREE (3) YEARS INCARCERATION, SUSPENDS ALL BUT EIGHT (8) MONTHS TO BE SERVED AT THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION, WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO THE PRE-RELEASE CENTER, EXECUTION OF SENTENCE PENDING PRE-RELEASE SCREENING, PLACES DEFENDANT ON THREE (3) YEARS SUPERVISED PROBATION, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS AS SET FORTH IN THE PROBATION CONTRACT, WITH SPECIAL CONDITION THAT THE DEFENDANT HAS NO HARASSING CONTACT WITH STATE’S ATTORNEYS OFFICE OR WITH ANY POLICE AGENCY. COURT COSTS ASSESSED. STATE ENTERS A NOLLE PROS TO REMAINING COUNT OF THE INFORMATION.

Later on Appeal:

DEFENDANT WAS ASKED IF HE HAD ANYTHING TO SAY BEFORE SENTENCING. COURT (SAVAGE, J.). SENTENCES THE DEFENDANT AS TO COUNT #2 FOR A PERIOD OF THREE (3) YEARS INCARCERATION SUSPENDS ALL BUT ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY – NINE (179) DAYS, SENTENCE COMMENCING OCTOBER 12, 2007 AT 6:00 P.M. TO BE SERVED AT THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION, UPON RELEASE DEFENDANT IS PLACED ON THREE (3) YEARS SUPERVISED PROBATION, SUBJECT TO THE SAME TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS SET FORTH IN THE PROBATION CONTRACT OF JULY 30, 2007. COURT (SAVAGE, J.) DETERMINES THAT THE DEFENDANT, PAUL K. WICKRE HAS WAIVED ALL FURTHER MODIFICATIONS OF SENTENCES.

 

NOTE to readers:  Don’t make a statement of fact that isn’t a fact.  Psul will seize on it.  So make sure what you are saying is either a fact (“Paul was convicted of resisting arrest”) or opinion (“he’s a bloviating pile of fetid dogshit.”)

So, let’s recap my day. Saw several midgets, watched one dude launch a midget down a slip and slide, saw more naked boobs that I’ve seen in any other week, and 95% of which I wish I could unsee, met Frank from American Pickers and some dude from American Guns, probably lost my hearing, and definitely lost my sanity from about 30 emails from Wickre. (I don’t want to ruin the surprise for you, but he’s contacting every person under the sun until Jonn and I are in jail and he’s going to sue us.)

But, I did get this picture from Sniper.

Anyway, I am traveling all day, and Thursday I will audit results. At 9am on Friday I will crown your “winner.”