Politics
September 19, 2012

Obama Slides Taliban Lawyer Into Top Spot At Justice Department
AP File
From Al Qaeda 7 to DOJ 3

American Taliban lawyer appointed to third-highest Justice Department position

BY: Adam Kredo

A lawyer who came to prominence for his full-throated defense of a subsequently convicted terrorist was quietly promoted to the No. 3 slot at the Department of Justice last month, a post that puts him in charge of the administration’s policy regarding Guantanamo Bay detainees.

The move has raised red flags on Capitol Hill and elsewhere among national security stalwarts who argue that the promotion could imperil the country’s longstanding war on terrorism.

The Obama administration appointee at the center of the debate is Tony West, a longtime Justice Department lawyer who received national attention for his aggressive defense of John Walker Lindh, the so-called American Taliban who is currently serving 20-years in prison for colluding with al Qaeda in Afghanistan and taking up arms against U.S. troops.



Read more: http://nation.foxnews.com/department-justice/2012/09/19/obama-slides-taliban-lawyer-top-spot-justice-department#ixzz2733qpyCp