Original story It scares me that the gavernment can say "We're not going to charge them, but we can't let them go because they might, someday, do somethng, and the rest are better off in jail". Appearently we've given up on most, if not all, of the judicial principals we claim to hold dear.
with all due respect and with me being accused of being anti-american AGAIN, But the prosoners there have never had a snowballs chance in hell of actually having any judical procedures. the entire thing was a joke from day one lets look at it this way 1. the prisoners are enemy combatants - this make them prisoners of war and the way they were interrogated breaks the geniva convention. or 2. they are not prisoners of war in which case they are criminal prisoners and should have been allowed access to legal advice and the interrogate was itself illegal either way the way it was planned and implemented was poorly thought out and a knee jerk reaction to show a nation that was grieving that its government was seen to be doing something
I don't really see where the tough choices are coming from. Give them a criminal trial in the US and that's the end of that.
For my money, i say drop it in the UNs lap. Let those that there is a case against be tried by the international court of justice before impartial, internationally respected judges. The rest can be resettled by the refugee commission, all funded by the US of course. Literally, what's the worst that could happen? They all get turned loose and some go back to being terrorists? Does anyone really think that having these particular people back will suddenly make Al Queda able to hit the US?
Don't take this the wrong way, but its not the UN's mess and "dumping in its lap" is hardly doing your (battered) reputation any favours. This really is the USA's mess and it really needs to deal with it by its self to try and gain some semblance of respect back.
Doesn't the US already owe several billion dollars to the UN? What makes you think they'd start paying the UN now?
I agree, it's not the UNs problem, but I think they are in the best position to solve it. In this case, much like Iraq, the US created the problem, but is incapable of solving it in a satisfactory manner. If things are going to be properly resolved someone else has to do it. The analogy I prefer is that the US is the 4 year old who just knocked over the china hutch. Just because we broke it doesn't mean we can fix it, and we need to be put in time out while the adults take care of the problem.
To be completely honest, I consider it to be DISGUSTING that such an institution as Guantanamo Bay Prison Camp exists in this modern world. The fact that such a place exists, and is used by those who consider themselves to be 'frontmen' in a battle for democracy is quite simply appalling - almost farcical. Am I the only one who thinks that the existence of Guantanamo has spawned MORE terrorism than it has managed to remove? Sure the UN is in place to take over in such situations, but really, can we compare the US to 4 year olds? (don't answer that ) The country which claims to be the 'greatest' in the world - at the forefront of all that is 'good'. A fully functional democratic unit which is the most powerful economic unit on earth. Besides, from what Kofi Annan told us when he left, the UN is hugely influenced by the US. How long before they decide to blow another country sh1tless? Don't get me wrong - I love Americans. There is not a single American I have met to date who I have had reason to dislike. Its just things like Guantanamo, the war for oil and the search for Osama Bin Camcorder-less audio blogger, which just cause a huge build up of frustration and anger with the USA.
True. I think I meant to imply 'country'. I'm sure no single European country could claim to be wealthier than America. Edit: I found a better one 'Osama Camcorder in the -Bin Laden with audio recording equipment'.
The releasing of Gitmo prisoners is now a double edged sword. The unfortunate consequence of Gitmo and the likes is there are a number on people imprisoned sympathetic to the West who had no connection to terrorism, guess where their allegiance lies now. I do understand the need for such places, however I fear the purpose of these detention camps was abused. Where they should have been used for extreme cases only, they were used as a general holding pen for anyone simply suspected of terror links. Not only that the period of detention without judicial process is beyond reproach.
I don't understand the need for such places, sorry. Terrorists are criminals. Last time I checked, we already had a framework and infrastructure for dealing with crime. To create a special place off US soil (Cuba, no less. I guess we now know how much of a threat that Communist regime really poses to the US) to circumvent the law and then create a "special" prisoner status that puts them outside the framework of criminal or martial (geneva Convention) law is basically pulling your zip down and pissing all over any form of legislature. Not that it hasn't been done before, but this is the first time it has been done so blatantly. And now the 9/11 hysteria is dying down (we got a new thing to panic about now, and it is called The Recession), all of a sudden the Bush Administration is finding that once you step outside the law and morality, there is no going back. Who would have thought? The Manic Street Preachers said it: If you tolerate this, your children will be next.
Ahh, Guantanamo. All those 'could be' terrorists. And all that evidence that was eaten by the dog. Which was mysteriously kidnapped that same afternoon. I agree with Nexxo - There are already more than enough prisons, thanks. (Well, the UK might be a bit low on space in them..) terrorism is a crime, they aren't any less likely to commit acts of terrorism in a high sec prison than they are in Guantanamo. I'm always left wondering, does being wrongly imprisoned in Guantanamo have the ability to do the mental damage to turn someone into a terrorist/freedom fighter/activist? Dunno about you, but I'd be pretty cheesed off if I'd been in there for years with no reason.
