Bradley Manning pre-trial hearing opens amid tight security

[struggle4progress]

9. At Manning Hearing, Investigator Refuses Recusal

By SCOTT SHANE
Published: December 16, 2011

FORT MEADE, Md. — A defense lawyer for Bradley Manning, the Army private accused in the most famous leak of government secrets since the Pentagon Papers, began a frontal attack during Private Manning’s first court appearance here on Friday morning, claiming that the Army’s investigating officer at the evidentiary hearing was biased and should recuse himself from the case.

The lawyer, David Coombs, said that Lt. Col. Paul Almanza, the investigating officer who works as a Justice Department prosecutor in civilian life, was preventing the defense from calling witnesses to show that little harm was done by the disclosure of hundreds of thousands of confidential documents provided to WikiLeaks, the antisecrecy organization.

“All this stuff has been leaked,” Mr. Coombs said. “A year and a half later, where’s the danger? Where’s the harm?”

Colonel Almanza said he did not believe that he was biased, because he does not currently supervise criminal cases in his job at the Justice Department and his work involves child abuse and obscenity, not national security. After a 90-minute break to consider the question, he declined to recuse himself, saying he believed that a “reasonable person” would consider him impartial ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/us/bradley-manning-accused-of-aiding-wikileaks-will-appear-in-military-court.html?_r=1