Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs

{{Short description|Political appointment created by US President George W. Bush}}

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs (DASD-DA) is a political appointment created by United States President George W. Bush. The appointee has responsibility for captives apprehended during the "war on terror".{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/politics/11detainee.html |title=Pentagon Expert on Detainees Plans to Leave for State Dept. |date=2005-12-11 |author=Eric Schmitt |work=The New York Times |accessdate=2009-05-06}} The New York Times described one appointee as: "a primary adviser to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on detainee matters and his point man for dealing with foreign governments and international organizations on the issue."

Matthew Waxman was the first to hold this position.{{cite news |url=http://www.law.columbia.edu/fac/Matthew_Waxman |title=Matthew Waxman |publisher=Columbia Law School |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081001053319/http://www.law.columbia.edu/fac/Matthew_Waxman |archivedate=2008-10-01 |url-status=dead}}{{cite news |url=http://www.hoover.org/bios/Matthew_Waxman.html |title=Matthew Waxman: member of the Task Force on National Security and Law |publisher=Hoover Institute |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520041540/http://www.hoover.org/bios/Matthew_Waxman.html |archivedate=2009-05-20 |url-status=dead}} He was followed by Charles "Cully" Stimson, who resigned in February 2007 following controversial comments about lawyers representing detainees.

Career State Department lawyer Sandra Hodgkinson held the position from 2007–2009.

The Washington Post reported in February 2009 that Phillip E. Carter was slated to be the new Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs, following speculation on Pentagon blogs about his appointment.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/18/AR2009021803149.html |title=Until We Have a Playoff System, Bush Is Stuck at No. 36 |date=2009-02-19 |author=Al Kamen |author-link=Al Kamen |newspaper=The Washington Post |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204194651/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/18/AR2009021803149.html |url-status=live |archivedate=2011-02-04}}{{cite news |url=http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/02/18/names_pentagon |title=Names: Pentagon |date=2009-02-18 |work=Foreign Policy |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425031120/http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/02/18/names_pentagon |archivedate=2009-04-25 |url-status=dead}}{{Cite book|url=http://washingtonindependent.com/30684/more-counterinsurgents-join-the-obama-pentagon|title=More Counterinsurgents Join the Obama Pentagon|author=Spencer Ackerman|date=February 18, 2009|accessdate=2009-03-10|work=The Washington Independent|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709065922/http://washingtonindependent.com/30684/more-counterinsurgents-join-the-obama-pentagon|archive-date=July 9, 2009|url-status=dead}}

The Department of Defense has published 179 Guantanamo documents dossiers prepared from the unclassified documents prepared for captives 2004 Combatant Status Review Tribunals.{{cite web |url=http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt_arb/index_publicly_filed_CSRT_records.pdf |title=Index for CSRT Records Publicly Files in Guantanamo Detainee Cases |author=OARDEC |author-link=OARDEC |publisher=United States Department of Defense |date=August 8, 2007 |accessdate=2007-09-29}} Documents from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs routinely lead the documents that the Tribunals considered as evidence justifying the Guantanamo captives continued extrajudicial detention.

On February 16, 2010 William K. Lietzau was appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Policy.{{cite news |url=https://www.defense.gov/bios/biographydetail.aspx?biographyid=246 |title=William K. Lietzau: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Rule of Law and Detainee Policy) |publisher=United States Department of Defense |access-date=2011-11-03 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111019235644/http://www.defense.gov/bios/biographydetail.aspx?biographyid=246 |archive-date=2011-10-19}} By October 2011 he had taken on responsibility for the department's Rule of Law and Humanitarian Policy portfolio, and held the title "Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for rule of law and detainee policy".{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/guantanamo-authorities-reading-attorney-client-mail-lawyers-say/2011/11/01/gIQAXoQkdM_story.html |title=Guantanamo authorities reading attorney-client mail, lawyers say |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2011-11-01 |accessdate=2011-11-03 |quote=In a letter Tuesday, nine of the attorneys wrote to William K. Lietzau, deputy assistant secretary of defense for rule of law and detainee policy, to object to authorities reading their mail to clients at the detention center. |author=Peter Finn |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130205203038/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/guantanamo-authorities-reading-attorney-client-mail-lawyers-say/2011/11/01/gIQAXoQkdM_story.html |archivedate=2013-02-05}}