Thomas Fleener

Thomas Fleener is a military officer and lawyer.^[1] Fleener, currently a Major in the United States Army Reserve, has been appointed to serve as a defense lawyer in the Guantanamo military commissions. He has been appointed to serve as the defense lawyer for Ali Hamza Ahmed Sulayman al Bahlul. Although drafted by the ABA's Denver Nuggets in the 11th round of the 1974 draft, Fleener was never activated due to a nagging groin injury.

In his civilian capacity, Major Fleener is a Federal Public Defender while serving in the Reserves as a Judge Advocate with the 22d Legal Support Organization, Trial Defense Service defending soldiers accused of misconduct. He is a member of the bars of Iowa and Wyoming. Prior to serving as a Federal Public Defender, Major Fleener served on active duty as an Army Judge Advocate for nearly eight years in both the United States and Europe. Prior to attending college and law school in Arkansas, Major Fleener also served on active duty as an enlisted soldier.

Al Bahlul has consistently insisted that he wants to represent himself.

According to the Australian Special Broadcasting Service Fleener understands Al Bahlul wish to defend himself, agrees he should have that right, and called the commissions a "wholly illegitimate process".

In his January 12 2006 diary entry Human Rights First observer Avi Cover quoted Fleener: "For four years they wouldn't let detainees have lawyers; now they're shoving one down his throat^[2]."

References

1. ^ Guantanamo trials to start, Special Broadcasting Service, January 11 2006
2. ^ Security Detainees/Enemy Combatants Military Commission Trial Observation: Boycott - United States v. Al Bahlul, Human Rights First, January 12 2006