Pauline Storum

Pauline Storum is an officer in the United States Navy, who has specialized in Public Affairs. [cite news
url=http://www.mdw.army.mil/content/anmviewer.asp?a=1538&z=1
title=JFHQ-NCR hits books for interagency exercise
publisher=
author=
date=2005-11-01
accessdate=2008-08-08
quote=Navy Lt. Commander Pauline Storum led a session on joint public affairs in which she laid out PA fundamentals, explained PA planning considerations, and discussed operational joint public affairs, strategic communication, and the media/military relationship. [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mdw.army.mil%2Fcontent%2Fanmviewer.asp%3Fa%3D1538%26z%3D1&date=2008-08-08 mirror] ]

In the Spring of 2008 Storum was rotated to be the deputy commander of
Joint Task Force Guantanamo's Public Affairs Office.

Ibrahim Al Qosi's call home

Notably, on May 22 2008 Storum told the Press that the Guantanamo camp authorities had already complied with a ruling from earlier that day, from the Presiding Officer of Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi's Military Commission, that provision be made for him to phone home.cite news
url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/543147.html
title=Terror suspect phones Sudan to hire own lawyer
publisher=Miami Herald
author=Carol Rosenberg
date=May 22 2008
accessdate=2008-05-25
quote=Within hours of a judge's order, an accused al Qaeda conspirator from Sudan got a call from home Thursday to consult with his family on how they might hire him a lawyer, at their own expense. [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.miamiherald.com%2Fnews%2Fbreaking_news%2Fstory%2F543147.html&date=2008-05-25 mirror] ] cite news
url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/22/news/Guantanamo-Military-Tribunal.php
title=Guantanamo judge orders military to allow detainee phone call home to Sudan
publisher=International Herald Tribune
date=May 22, 2008
accessdate=2008-05-25
quote=]

Storum's claim triggered controversy.cite news
url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_dade/story/545741.html
title=Guantánamo: Detainee didn't get call from home
publisher=Miami Herald
author=Carol Rosenberg
date=May 24 2008
accessdate=2008-05-25
quote=A military spokesman erred last week by telling journalists that an alleged al Qaeda conspirator at Guantánamo received a Red Cross-assisted telephone call from home. [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.miamiherald.com%2Fnews%2Fbreaking_dade%2Fstory%2F545741.html&date=2008-05-25 mirror] ] cite news
url=http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnNASU52401.html
title=Guantanamo phone report was in error, U.S. says
author=Jane Sutton
publisher=Reuters
date=May 24 2008
accessdate=2008-05-25
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fafrica.reuters.com%2Fwire%2Fnews%2FusnNASU52401.html&date=2008-05-25 mirror] ]
Commander Suzanne Lachelier, Ibrahim Al Qosi's appointed military lawyer, expressed surprise at learning from newspaper reports that the arrangements for the call had been made, and completed, without any participation from her.Normally calls between captives and their family are made with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who meet with the captive's family first, to make sure access to a telephone can be arranged, and to pre-schedule the call for a time when the family can be available.

On May 23 2008 Storum sent an apology by e-mail to reporters to retract her claim the phone call had been completed.:

Carol Rosenberg, of the "Miami Herald" commented on Storum's initial announcment::

References