FORT MEADE, Md. — An Army officer at Guantanamo Bay says court orders barring female soldiers from jobs requiring physical contact with Muslim detainees create a safety risk at the U.S. military prison in Cuba by limiting his staffing options.
The commander of Camp 7, a top-secret housing unit for high-security detainees, testified anonymously Wednesday at a pretrial hearing for Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi (AHB’-dahl HAH’-dee ahl-ee-RAH’-kee). The Associated Press covered the hearing from a video feed at Fort Meade near Baltimore.
The government is contesting a military judge’s interim order barring female guards from escorting al-Hadi to attorney-client meetings and court hearings. Al-Hadi contends his Muslim faith prohibits physical contact with females other than wives and close relatives.
A similar court order pertains to the five defendants in the Sept. 11 attacks.
