The tide is turning fast against Guantánamo Bay. Even former Secretary of State Colin Powell has gone on record saying that he would close the base down 'today not tomorrow'.
However, around half of the candidates in the US Presidential election still support its existence.
Amnesty is going to present the US Congress with a 13-point plan that shows exactly how the base can be closed down (and what the rest of the world thinks of Guantánamo Bay). We are getting MPs, SMPs, Assembly Members, MEPs and Lords to put their names to our plan. But we need your help to give them a gentle nudge in the right direction.
What you can do
Visit our action page today and you can swiftly and easily mail your elected representative. Please hurry as the deadline for collecting signatures is less than a month away.
Want to do more? Send this mail to everyone you know and encourage them to take this decisive action. With your help we can really make a huge difference.
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The problem with closing Gitmo is that there is no other avenue in which to detain these people. This is the major problem with fighting a war with people who have no national allegiance or affiliation. They aren't officially POW because they aren't wearing a uniform of a country we are presently at war with. The Supreme Court needs to stop avoiding this issue and make a clearcut ruling on what can or can't be done in terms of these detainees.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
The problem with closing Gitmo is that there is no other avenue in which to detain these people. This is the major problem with fighting a war with people who have no national allegiance or affiliation. They aren't officially POW because they aren't wearing a uniform of a country we are presently at war with. The Supreme Court needs to stop avoiding this issue and make a clearcut ruling on what can or can't be done in terms of these detainees.
That is the problem that has been dragging Gitmo on. If they are not soldiers, than it has to be proven beyond reasonable doubt they are criminals, through a fair trial, and suitable punishment not Gitmo. If they are considered soldiers, they need to be treated as such and not as criminals.
Otherwise they need to be returned to their homes.
The problem with closing Gitmo is that there is no other avenue in which to detain these people. This is the major problem with fighting a war with people who have no national allegiance or affiliation. They aren't officially POW because they aren't wearing a uniform of a country we are presently at war with. The Supreme Court needs to stop avoiding this issue and make a clearcut ruling on what can or can't be done in terms of these detainees.
Yes, there is a reason G'itmo is on foreign soil and it's not because of the pleasant weather and cheap cigar prices. Closing G'itmo would likely mean bringing all the celebrants to POW-like camps within US borders. Seriously, would that really make anybody happy? Most of the mirthmakers still at G'itmo are hardcores and their "boss" is still alive in a cave somewhere. The bigshots with extensive records (Khaled Shiek Yurbouti Muhammed or Ramzi Yussef for eg.) could be Federally indicted, but at a cost to leaking of valuable intelligence during the trial. There are some number that the US has deemed lower risk but their country of record won't take them back. What sould be done with them..give them political asylum in the US?????
BTW..the SCOTUS did rule on the issue...in the Hamdan case. They ruled that the tribunal system developed by the Presdident and DOD was not Constitutional and that direction was need from the Congress.
Congress already passed a law to rectify that. That is why they are finally going ahead with military-style tribunals.
In my opinion that would only be appropriate if they are criminals and have been convicted of a crime.
To me the only choices are to make a bona fide decision as to who are soldiers and who are civilians. Those that are Civilians try them fairly as criminals, in the country the crime occurred and in accordance with the laws they broke.
If they can not be proven to be criminals turn them loose to their homelands. Sadly, I am aware there are some that already meet that criteria, but their homelands refuse to allow them re-entry.
Those that are shown to be soldiers, treat them as such and treat them as POWs not as criminals and afford them the dignity, respect and rights we want captors to afford our soldiers when captured.
The people being daily tortured and abused at Guantanamo are heroes of Islam. I would kiss every single one of them. Masha Allah they are brave warriors. Their torturers the Americans are nothing but sadistic cowards. Their punishment in Jahanam will make Guantanamo look like a pleasant vacation.
theres jails and prisons everywhere, i dont care if its overcrowded they can build other places, governments loaded.
The fact that you even find a problem with gitmo closing is shocking to me...
Now for a dose of reality. Anyone want to guess what would happen to some Al Quaeda cheerleader who speaks no English and gets sent into the general US prison population? The first time he goes outside in the exercise yard to do some jumping jacks he will have a shiv in his side and the guards will cheer and take pictures.
Let's say prisoner X is convicted in a Federal trial of 20 counts of murder. If he is lucky he gets the death sentence and he can go see if there really are 72 virgins. If he gets life in prison, which is more likely, he will be at Supermax in Colorado with the retard 22nd hijacker, Moussoai (or however you spell his name). He is in lifetime solitary confinement. He will not see another human being except guards.
Let's say a Saudi national gets sent back to Saudi for his "trial". Anyone want to guess how long he will last? How about a Pakistani? Who here thinks Musharraf will go easy on him? How many times has AQ tried to assassinate Musharraf (3 or 4? I lost track)
To me the only choices are to make a bona fide decision as to who are soldiers and who are civilians. Those that are Civilians try them fairly as criminals, in the country the crime occurred and in accordance with the laws they broke.....
That has alredy been done. NONE are soldiers according to international law. They are legally termed "illegal enemy combatants".
The clueless types that just happened to be in Afghanistan for a "wedding" or who were hapless conscripts fighting the Northern Alliance are not at G'itmo anymore.
A large number have already been released. We are getting down to the hardcores.
Yes, we are talking about illegal enemy combatants, not common criminals. It is also true that many of these men would end up dead in the general prison population. I don't know the answer, but letting these people go is out of the question. The process is moving slowly, but many of these people are getting their day in court, and those that aren't considered a likely threat are released.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
Many of these "illegal enemy combatants" are nothing more than "suspects". They are held there in a limbo so the US doesn't have to worry letting them go. Many pakistani are there as "qaeda members", the same "members" that Paki journalists and relatives uncovered evidence of dictator Musharaf selling innocents to US as "members" for a fee to show he's catching "terrorist" and to make a few million bucks.
Many of these "illegal enemy combatants" are nothing more than "suspects". They are held there in a limbo so the US doesn't have to worry letting them go. Many pakistani are there as "qaeda members", the same "members" that Paki journalists and relatives uncovered evidence of dictator Musharaf selling innocents to US as "members" for a fee to show he's catching "terrorist" and to make a few million bucks.
well, it sure beats bake sales.
each man thinks of his own fleas as gazelles
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btw, in case anyone thinks i take quantanamo lightly, i do not. i think it is a major national disgrace.
i would support closing it down immediately, if that would solve the problem. but all that would happen is these guys would "disappear" to be tortured in some unknown country. the issue is torture and human rights abuses - it's a bigger issue than the walls of guantanamo.
each man thinks of his own fleas as gazelles
question authority
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What sould be done with them..give them political asylum in the US?????
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