European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 25, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday March 25 2007 stars and stripes Page 7 revised numbers show increase in army desertions stars and stripes the army had 3196 a Tiv duty desertions last year or 853 More than previously report to revised figures from the army the new York times reported Friday National Public radio first re ported tuesday that the army had been inaccurately reporting the numbers the new calculations by the army which had about 507000 Active duty troops at the end of 2006 significantly alter the Annu Al desertion totals since the 2000 fiscal year in 2005 for example the army now says 2543 soldiers deserted not the 2011 it had reported title times wrote for some earlier years the desertion numbers were revised downward army spokeswoman maj Anne Edgecomb told the times that most soldiers desert because of personal family or financial prob lems adding we dont have any facts to indicate that soldiers who desert now Are doing so for Rea sons different from Why soldiers deserted in the past the failure to count deserters accurately is inexcusable said hit is just unbelievable to the Gao to hear that the army does not know what that number is f f Derek b Stewart Gao Derek b Stewart director for de sense department personnel is sues for the government account ability office it is just unbelievable to the Gao to hear that the army does not know what that number is Stewart told the times on thurs Day Overall desertions a chronic problem in the army but hardly pervasive now account for less than 1 percent of Active duty sol Diers the times reported the current annual rates Pale in com Parison with the 33094 soldiers 341 percent of the total Force who deserted the army in 1971 during the Vietnam War an inmate of Camp xray is escorted by two guards while other inmates Are seen in their cells in Guantanamo Bay us naval base Cuba on March 152002 lawyers fear Gizmo fallout by Michael Melia the associated press san Juan puerto tary defense lawyers preparing for trials at the Guantanamo Bay prison fear their work on behalf of terror suspects could derail their careers or even make them subject to court martial the lawyers officers who typically defend fellow troops now find their tactics and motives under scrutiny As they fulfil their duty to provide a vigorous defense before the first us military War crimes trials since world War ii army maj Tom Fleener a Mili tary defense lawyer who has rep earn a free online or classroom 100 funding fiber optic Muse is office acc classes worldwide or 5303466792 ext 260 or 220 Wawa Escom voucher toward the Purchase Ofa computer save 10 with promo code resented a Guantanamo Detainee said he and his colleagues believe any Legal victories could come at a Steep Cost we All took these jobs recognizing that were not Likely going to be promoted and Given Good assignments by the military Fleener said what we never expected was to face either criminal sanctions or ethical sanctions for doing our jobs the conflict for military de sense lawyers is not new but the Challenge is More Stark with the Guantanamo detainees some of whom admit they Are sworn ene Mies of the United states Marine corps maj Michael Mori who will represent austra Lian Detainee David Hicks at his arraignment this week at the us base in Southeast Cuba is the lat est example of what military de sense lawyers May face when they Are perceived As Overly aggressive the chief military prosecutor air Force col Morris Davis charged in an email to Conven ing authority Susan Crawford the military official in charge of the commissions that Mori May have violated military regulations by using contemptuous Lan Guage in reference to president Bush and other administration officials in statements to the us and australian Media Mori an outspoken critic of the military commissions has questioned whether Hicks a Muslim convert who allegedly fought for Al Aida in Afghanistan can get a fair trial Mori declined to comment on the memo and a Pentagon spokes Man would not say whether any discipline had been taken saying it is an internal matter a detainees sue Rumsfeld claim abuse the associated press Washington two former Guantanamo Bay detainees Are suing former defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other Mili tary officials accusing them of mistreating and imprisoning them for years despite knowing they we rent enemy combatants the men joined three other Guantanamo Bay detainees in a Federal lawsuit late wednesday against Rumsfeld former chair Man of the joint chiefs of staff Richard Myers and several officials at the military prison like other such lawsuits Pend ing in the Washington Federal court the complaint accuses the government of torturing detainees military officials kicked and beat prisoners suspended them from ceilings humiliated them and desecrated their quran the lawsuit contends what is unique about this Case however is that two of the detainees identified As Abu Muhammad and Zaki Jan Hasam say they underwent the military combatant status review Tribu nals and were ruled not to be enemy combatants despite that they said their mistreatment continued for nearly two years be fore they were released now drays o South pole report Gates pushed to close Guantanamo defense Secretary Robert Gates pushed in his first weeks As de sense Secretary for closing the detention Center at the us naval base in Cuba arguing that its image was so tainted that any military trials there would be viewed As illegitimate according to the new York times he was overruled however after attorney general Alberto Gonzales and other government lawyers objected to moving detainees to the us the times said in a report posted on its web site thursday night Secretary of state condole Ezza Rice agreed with Gates but vice president Dick Cheney office took the same Posi Tion As Gonzales the report said citing unidentified senior administration officials from the associated press