Mattis names new judge for military tribunals at Guantanamo
Oct 22, 2018
The Secretary of Defense has appointed Col. Douglas Watkins to replace retiring Col. James Pohl as the judge for ongoing military tribunals at Guantanamo. Many have not known about these ongoing tribunals, but this article brings them to light. This also sheds light on Lindsey Graham’s line of questioning in the Justice Kavanaugh hearings, where he specifically asked Kavanaugh about his familiarity with prosecuting treason under the laws of war.
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has chosen an Army colonel with experience in handling terrorism cases -- dating back to the 1986 Berlin disco bombing -- to serve as chief judge of the Guantanamo war court, according to a document obtained by McClatchy.
Col. Douglas K. Watkins, 56, is currently handling hearings in the war crimes case against Guantanamo prisoner Majid Khan, a Baltimore-area high school graduate who was captured in Pakistan and held for years in CIA prisons. Khan has turned government witness and faces sentencing July 1.