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USS Cole Victims Families Furious with Obama |
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Written by Melanie Morgan
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Friday, 06 February 2009 |
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(politico.com)
The commanding officer of the U.S.S. Cole during the 2000 attack slammed President Barack Obama Friday for his decision to seek the withdrawal of charges against the suspected ship bomber and the president’s order to close the Guantanamo Bay prison.
“Personally, I am very disappointed he has gone forward with this,” said retired Cmdr. Kirk S. Lippold on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show. “But more important is the impact that has on the families who have waited for eight years for justice to have to wait another 120 days.”
Lippold’s comments were a glimpse of what Obama will hear at a Friday meeting with families of victims of the Cole bombing and 9/11 attacks. Lippold said he will be in attendance.
The judge overseeing military trials at Guantanamo ordered charges Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, reversing an earlier decision that the case must go forward despite a request by the president to delay the proceeding.
“We had a legal process in place,” Lippold said. “Now justice delayed, is justice denied.”
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