Not Such Great Expectations

Don’t ever expect this judge to be nominated for the Supreme Court:

A federal judge has found the Defense Department in contempt of court for failing to videotape the testimony of a prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay.

U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler is demanding a detailed explanation of why the Pentagon failed to conduct the taping as she had directed.

The detainee, Mohammed Al-Adahi of Yemen, is challenging his indefinite detention at the prison in Cuba.

The judge said she wanted the proceeding with the detainee videotaped to provide the public and the news media the greatest possible portion of Al-Adahi's testimony.

In August, Kessler ordered the government to take all possible steps to arrange for the release of Al-Adahi.

And don’t expect the Pentagon to obey, at least not fully. Do expect them to say that complying with the court’s original order would have compromised national security, and do expect the matter to drag on, unresolved, indefinitely. Don’t expect anything else.