Selective Justice System

I've posted previously regarding Captain James Yee, the chaplain at Guantanamo who was needlessly put through the ringer by overzealous military prosuecutors: initially charged with espionage (a capital offense), he was subjected instead to the humiliation of having his private life exposed needlessly (the charges eventually became adultery and possession of pornography. How many others in the military would like their computers and personal lives examined in such a way?). Here's a follow up that shows how justice, at least in the military, has numerous shades:

In February 2004...Col. Jack Farr an intelligence officer [was] arrested on November 29, 2003 and charged with an offense similar to Captain Yee's...[Farr] was charged with "wrongfully transporting classified material without the proper security container on or around Oct. 11" and lying to investigators.

Col. Farr was not placed in solitary confinement. According to an Associated Press report he was permitted to continue on duty while his case was being investigated...

Col. Farr was Caucasian and Captain Yee was Chinese. Captain Yee's father said it for him: "How much have you heard about Col. Farr's case? What's the story on him? Col. Jack Farr is Caucasian and not a Muslim. James is Chinese and a Muslim. This is ethnic and religious profiling."

He may be right.

Late in the day on Friday, March 19, 2004, so as not to attract to much media attention, all charges against Capt. Yee were dropped. Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller said the case was being dropped because of "national security concerns that would arise from the release of the evidence" if the case went forward. Col. Bill Costello, a spokesman for the Southern Command said dropping the charges "seemed to be the prudent way to proceed."

I suppose the wingnuts, in the spirit of supporting the troops, will say something like "he knew what he was getting into when he enlisted."