Jay Alan Liotta

American Department of Defense senior official

J. Alan Liotta in April 1999

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Prepared Statement for the Record of Jay Alan Liotta Principal Director, Office of Detainee Policy United States Department of Defense

Jay Alan Liotta is an American senior official in the Department of Defense, in its Office of Detainee Policy.[1][2][3][4]

Liotta earned a Bachelor's degree form Wittenberg University in 1982, in Political Science and East Asian Studies.[4] During the summer of 1981 he spent a term in China. Liotta entered the US Government service in 1983. Liotta completed a master's degree at George Washington University's School of Public and International Affairs. Liotta studied Mandarin at University, and much of his Government service has been served in Asia, or working on Asian related issues.

Liotta led the first American delegation to North Korea in 43 years in 1996.[4] He is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Meritorious Service.

In 1997 Liotta was appointed the deputy director of the Defense Departments Prisoner-of-War/Missing Personnel Office.[5][6]

In February 2006 Liotta was appointed to the position of Principal Director for DOD Detainee Affairs.[7]

In February 2007 Liotta was the deputy to Cully Stimson, and stepped in to be his acting replacement following controversial comments Stimson made calling for corporate America to boycott the law firms that allowed their lawyers to take on Guantanamo captives as clients.[8]

Historian Andy Worthington wrote that when Liotta testified before a subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on July 16, 2009, Representative Jim Moran suggested he be held in contempt of Congress.[1][2] Liotta had been asked to appear before Congress to explain why the Department of Defense had allowed interrogators from foreign nations to interrogate the Guantanamo captives, but they had not allowed members of Congress to meet with them. Moran was angered when Liotta's explanation was that the Geneva Conventions obliged captors to protect captives from "public curiosity".

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Andy Worthington (2009-07-21). "House Threatens Obama Over Chinese Interrogation of Uighurs in Guantanamo". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
2. ^ a b Justin Rood (2009-07-17). "Lawmakers Blast Obama "No-Visit" Gitmo Policy: Foreign Intelligence Said to Meet Detainees – But Lawmakers Can't". American Broadcasting Company. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
3. ^ Jay Alan Liotta (2009-07-16). "Prepared Statement for the Record of Jay Alan Liotta Principal Director, Office of Detainee Policy United States Department of Defense" (PDF). Department of Defense. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-07-16. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
4. ^ a b c "Jay Alan Liotta: Principal Director, Office of Detainee Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense" (PDF). Department of Defense. November 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-12. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
5. ^ Jay Alan Liotta (1997-04-11). "DoD News Briefing: Alan Liotta, Deputy Director Defense Prisoner-of-War/Missing Personnel Office". United States Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
6. ^ Jay Alan Liotta (1997-10-29). "DoD News Briefing: Mr. J. Alan Liotta, DASD, POW/Missing Personnel Affairs". United States Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
7. ^ Alan Liotta (2006-02-28). "transcript". United States State Department. Archived from the original on June 19, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
8. ^ Carol Rosenberg (2007-02-02). "Pentagon Official Quits Over Lawyer Remarks". Miami Herald. National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Retrieved 2007-06-28.