William J. Haynes, the Pentagon's chief legal officer and overseer of Guantanamo's Military Commissions, is stepping down, amid mounting controversy over the tribunal process, so he can "return to private life," the Department of Defense announced late on Monday. Haynes' resignation comes exactly two weeks after landmark charges were brought against six "high-value" Guantanamo detainees.

Haynes "has served the Department of Defense and the nation with distinction," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in a statement. But Haynes will leave behind a commissions process that is embattled and discredited--and he bears much of the blame.

Haynes, who is legal counsel for the Pentagon--having served both Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates--has long been criticized for his role in crafting the Bush Administration's policies regarding the interrogation and detention of prisoners captured in the "war on terror."

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