Bahlul asked to act as his own attorney and Brownback said no, because the rules required defense attorneys to be U.S. citizens and military officers licensed to practice law and with security clearance. Bahlul then requested a Yemeni lawyer and was again told the rules did not allow that.
But it took a long series of confused exchanges to clarify his preference. Several times Brownback signaled those speaking to slow down because the translators could not keep up. The translators seemed to have trouble explaining legal terms, and Brownback sometimes used military jargon.
At one point, a translator quoted Bahlul as saying he had studied some law in Yemen. Another translator interrupted and told the court; "My understanding was he knew some people who practiced law in Yemen."
Brownback told Bahlul that he needed a lawyer who understood U.S. law and culture. He tried to clarify that by asking: "Is your understanding of our culture sufficient to make things that appear strange appear not so strange?"
Reuters article
But it took a long series of confused exchanges to clarify his preference. Several times Brownback signaled those speaking to slow down because the translators could not keep up. The translators seemed to have trouble explaining legal terms, and Brownback sometimes used military jargon.
At one point, a translator quoted Bahlul as saying he had studied some law in Yemen. Another translator interrupted and told the court; "My understanding was he knew some people who practiced law in Yemen."
Brownback told Bahlul that he needed a lawyer who understood U.S. law and culture. He tried to clarify that by asking: "Is your understanding of our culture sufficient to make things that appear strange appear not so strange?"
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