Charles Douglas "Cully" Stimson (born June 13, 1963) is a former American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 political appointee at the Pentagon. Stimson was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs. He resigned February 2, 2007, following a controversy about his statements on legal representation for prisoners at Guantánamo Bay.

Appointment

The Pentagon created the Office of Detainee Affairs, and with it Stimson's post, in July 2004:

An as-yet-unnamed deputy assistant secretary who will report to the undersecretary for policy will head the office. The new deputy will chair a joint committee composed of the undersecretary for intelligence and representatives from the Joint Staff, the Office of General Counsel, the Department of the Army, and others who might be involved in detainee affairs.

Stimson, an attorney by profession, was formerly a U.S. Navy JAG

Judge Advocate General's Corps

Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, refers to the legal branch or specialty of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called Judge Advocates. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard do not maintain separate JAG Corps...

 officer from 1992-1997.

Guantanamo Bay detention camp

Stimson first received press attention in October 2006, when he told Reuters

Reuters

Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...

 that more than 300 Guantánamo detainees might remain there for the rest of their lives because nations refused to accept them.

In January 2007 he made comments concerning the legal representation of Guantánamo detainees stating that "corporate CEOs seeing this should ask firms to choose between lucrative retainers and representing terrorists." The Pentagon later issued a statement that Mr. Stimson's comments were not representative of Pentagon policy.

On January 17, 2007 Stimson wrote a letter of apology, published in the Washington Post.
His apology was criticized by the New York Times in an editorial, for the appearance of insincerity.

Resignation

On February 2, 2007, a Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

 spokesman announced that Stimson had decided to resign because the controversy had "hampered his ability to be effective in" his office. Stimson said that the Secretary of Defense

United States Secretary of Defense

The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...

, Robert Gates

Robert Gates

Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....

, had not asked him to resign.

Work at Heritage Foundation

Stimson is currently a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation

Heritage Foundation

The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...

 and an instructor at the Naval Justice School

Naval Justice School

The Naval Justice School is an educational institution of the United States Navy whose mission is to instruct Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard officers and enlisted personnel in the fundamental principles of military justice, civil and administrative law, and procedure...

 in Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

. In September 2010 he authored a report entitled "Just Say No" asserting that California's proposed Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 would "worsen the state’s drug problems— addiction, violence, disorder, and death".

Stimson continues to write on detainee issues.
On October 17 2011 Stimson called for the US Congress to reaffirm the original Authorization to Use Military Force from the fall of 2001.

Video

• C-SPAN Charles Stimson footage (RealPlayer)

Photo images

• U.S. Department of Defense DefenseLink: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs Cully Stimson on Sept. 6, 2006. DoD photo by R. D. Ward. (Released)
• U.S. Department of State Cully Stimson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Detainee Affairs, DOD, Lt. Gen. John Kimmons, Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence and Brigadier General Thomas L. Hemingway, Legal Adviser to the Appointing Authority, Office of Military Commissions
• Washington Post Views on Detainee Representation Draw Fire