U.S.S. Cole Bombing Case: Lead Lawyer Retires, Creating Potential Vacuum Ahead of 2025 Trial

A military judge's recent decision to shorten pretrial proceedings in the U.S.S. Cole bombing case has stirred significant changes within the defense staff, raising concerns as the trial date in Guantánamo's lengthy death-penalty case approaches.

Transition in Defense Leadership

The lead lawyer, Anthony J. Natale, 72, has received approval to retire next month, leaving a leadership vacuum in the defense team. The judge initially ordered Mr. Natale to remain until his replacement, Allison F. Miller, assumes full control, but after private discussions, the judge permitted Mr. Natale to exit on September 14.

Defense lawyers attribute this early departure to a crisis in leadership during the transition period. Mr. Natale, as an expert in death-penalty trials, played a crucial role. Brig. Gen. Jackie L. Thompson appointed Ms. Miller as his successor, but she currently awaits the government's grant of a security clearance to practice law at the national security court.

The trial is slated to start in 2025, and until Ms. Miller obtains the necessary clearance, she cannot communicate with the prisoner, Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, or access classified materials related to the case. This delay poses substantial challenges to the defense team's preparedness as they navigate through this leadership shift.