Guantanamo Detainees - Our New Neighbors

[Facetious]

The Guantanamo Trials

On January 20, just hours after taking office, President Barack Obama issued an order directing the chief prosecutor of the military commissions to seek a 120-day halt in all pending cases at Guantanamo Bay while his administration reviews the files of Guantanamo detainees and decides how to proceed. The following day, military judges granted the prosecution’s request to suspend proceedings against Omar Khadr, a Canadian who was only 15 at the time of his alleged crime, and against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other defendants accused of responsibility for the September 11 attacks.

Obama’s swift action to suspend the proceedings indicates that his administration understands the fundamental flaws in the military commissions and suggests that he may do what Human Rights Watch has long called for: transfer military commission cases to US federal courts.

How do you like that ?

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Second Article

AP - Charges dropped vs. suspect in 2000 USS Cole blast



WASHINGTON – The Pentagon's senior judge overseeing terror trials at Guantanamo Bay dropped charges Thursday against an al-Qaida suspect in the 2000 USS Cole bombing, upholding President Barack Obama's order to freeze military tribunals there. The charges against suspected al-Qaida bomber Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri marked the last active Guantanamo war crimes case.

More on that here

Have A Nice Day Comrades , Fascists, Subversives, Trojan Horses, Vth Columnists, and the like

 

[titsrock]

What's wrong with prosecuting people for crimes with actual evidence?

 

[Spleen]

If they weren't terrorists when they got in, they definately will be when they get out...

 

[Facetious]

What's wrong with prosecuting people for crimes with actual evidence?

Because we know that on the field of battle, our men don't waste resources in capturing civvy, joe blows. Actual combatants are either killed (preferred) or captured.

On a somewhat related note -

It's also interesting that Eric Holder is a partner in a Washington DC law firm that is representing some 12 - 20 Guantanamo detainees, one of which, an admitted
AlQueta terrorist involved in the bombing of the USS COLE !

I wonder where Al Noshithiri will live after he files suit against the taxpayers of America for conducting water boarding interrogation, against his will (?) BFD !
Waterboarding has been around for ages. The collective Al queta entity or network, if you will, trains for waterboarding interrogation - Simply hold your breath until the water shuts off, typically 30 - 40 second intervals. Nobody has ever drowned from our waterboarding interrogation sessions.


almface: and to think that an old fuddy duddy like Leon Panetta may assume the important work as CIA director . . . . and that carpet bagger, former Arizona governor, whose in charge of US Dept of Homeland INsecurity, who says that we need to buffer the U.S, Canadian border ! :updown: :updown: :updown:


Our system of justice is every bit as tweeked as our capitalist system, interesting and yet so startling.

:hammer:

 

[rodgod22]

Because we know that on the field of battle, our men don't waste resources in capturing civvy, joe blows. Actual combatants are either killed (preferred) or captured.

you know only 5 percent of gitmo detainees were taken in active combat, right?

 

[Facial_King]

Because we know that on the field of battle, our men don't waste resources in capturing civvy, joe blows. Actual combatants are either killed (preferred) or captured.

Come on, that's just not true. Plenty of these prisoners (or "detainees" if you prefer ) were picked up in house-to-house raids in which there was no combat to be had. A lot of them were turned in by their political/religious enemies - fellow Iraqis - for a bounty. As in, "Oh well, Raqmi Behbi swore on a stack of Korans that you were a terrorist, so you're coming with us, pal!!! Now put this bag over your head!" As in, poor people acting within chaotic scenarios (i.e. war) will be happy to lie to rake in some money.

It's also interesting that Eric Holder is a partner in a Washington DC law firm that is representing some 12 - 20 Guantanamo detainees, one of which, an admitted
AlQueta terrorist involved in the bombing of the USS COLE !

So, what do you think that means? Is Holder secretly working for Al Qaeda? (or "AlQueta"?) Does he want to help the terrorists?

Waterboarding has been around for ages. The collective Al queta entity or network, if you will, trains for waterboarding interrogation - Simply hold your breath until the water shuts off, typically 30 - 40 second intervals. Nobody has ever drowned from our waterboarding interrogation sessions.

Well, if they're so well-trained for it then it would be sort of pointless to use it against them, no? Nobody has ever drowned? Well hey, that's great news. (Actually, the demos I've seen make it pretty clear that actual drowning isn't the point - esp. when a piece of plastic is placed over the nose and mouth - it's the convincing simulation and feeling of impending death that makes it torture, not the killing) That doesn't mean it isn't torture. And if you're trying to make this form of torture seem like no big deal (because America does it and "it's been around for ages") then there goes a part of the argument that these Al Qaeda bastards are uniquely vicious - something I regularly hear and read about them.

 

[scooter]

Put 'em all on a free plane ride home. Give 'em 20 minutes of fuel.

 

[CunningStunts]

Put 'em all on a free plane ride home. Give 'em 20 minutes of fuel.

I like it! :thumbsup:

 

[Ivan Drago]

If prisoner become problem for US, I offer to fight for yous. I will make terrorist cry like little girl. In Russia, you don't get into fight...the fight get into you.

 

[maildude]

I'm gonna bring them detainees a nice welcoming fruit basket!

 

[calpoon]

That's great news because the people that used to live next to me were obnoxious assholes. I can use some nice quiet and well behaved Muslims in the neighborhood, and if they are terrorists, all the better, they will do even more to keep from attracting attention to themselves.

 

[deliberateur]

I'm not worried about anything that comes like message from Barack Obama Show. That symbolic gesture just means that all of us were terrorists from the start. But that's an old message. Nothing to worry about lads.

 

[georges]

and suddenly all went batshit because of Obama's so great decisions. I mean seriously how can one give a chance to terrorists by having them judged by federal courts???
You gotta love the change with Obama.:scream::wtf:
Terrrorists desserve a bullet in the head especially when they were involved in 9/11/2001 and no humanism should be shown towards them.

 

[titsrock]

Because we know that on the field of battle, our men don't waste resources in capturing civvy, joe blows. Actual combatants are either killed (preferred) or captured.

I think you need to convince me that a terrorist is a proper military "enemy." A terrorist is an enemy of the state and I do believe we should capture/prosecute people who intend to do massive harm to civilians, i.e.-terrorists.

To say that terrorists are a military enemy is to say that sanctioned, never-ending war is the purpose of the military. Or that a we need to live in a military/state in order to combat terrorists.

I don't think you want that, do you?

 

[Facial_King]

and suddenly all went batshit because of Obama's so great decisions. I mean seriously how can one give a chance to terrorists by having them judged by federal courts???
You gotta love the change with Obama.:scream::wtf:
Terrrorists desserve a bullet in the head especially when they were involved in 9/11/2001 and no humanism should be shown towards them.

You are operating on the faulty presumption that the people at issue are necessarily guilty. An important part of the American legal system is that in which people are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

I know, I know, the next whine is almost invariably "But they're not Americans so they don't deserve any of our protections!! Waaaah!" But it's not about whether they are Americans or not. If someone is captured in a situation such as we have in Afghanistan and Iraq - where large numbers of civilians are mixed in with guerilla fighters and, perhaps, some terrorists - then it's important to display our moral sophistication by demonstrating that the prisoner has been up to something naughty. If these guys were truly "on the battlefield" and firing at our soldiers, then I'm wondering why they were taken alive. But in many/most cases, that is not the situation in which they were taken. And in plenty of cases there is little to no evidence that these prisoners posed a danger to either American soldiers or civilians.

I think the issue with many of you is that you have the "a good Muslim is a dead Muslim" mentality, so since the USA has opted not to "kill 'em all and let God (as in Sweet Jesus) sort 'em out", we've gotta do the Gitmo and Abu Ghraib thing. And you think if someone's in one of those prisons then they MUST be guilty. That's a silly (and incredibly simple-minded) approach, and it won't help us.

FOUR Gitmo prosecutors already resigned because they had ethical qualms with the way things were operated there. That tells me something.

...and most of the terrorists involved in 9/11 are already dead (they died during the attack) - frustrating, I know, but ya gotta deal with it and try to be reasonable.

 

[Werewolf]

and suddenly all went batshit because of Obama's so great decisions. I mean seriously how can one give a chance to terrorists by having them judged by federal courts???
You gotta love the change with Obama.:scream::wtf:
Terrrorists desserve a bullet in the head especially when they were involved in 9/11/2001 and no humanism should be shown towards them.

Is there any proof that they are Terrorists? If so, they will be judged by the American Justice, won't they? If there is no proof, America has no right, to keep them imprisoned...

BTW: What does "Enemy Combattant" mean? If a foreign Army invaded my Country, I would surely try to fight them.

 

[Torre82]

I'm gonna bring them detainees a nice welcoming fruit basket!

Ahh shit. Got lost in the mail, again. Dammit Cliff.

Welcome them? I already have so many neighbors from Iran//India/Pakistan it feels a little foreign at times. Only people I mind are the Indians. Very irrational folk. Heh heh.. it'll be hilarious when the second generation comes around and turns into normal lazy bastids like the second and third gen Mexicans did.

The American disease: Turning superficial and lazy. Is it something they put in the food/water?! Who knows, eh.

 

[Imagine]

BTW: What does "Enemy Combattant" mean? If a foreign Army invaded my Country, I would surely try to fight them.

A lawful combatant is, essentially, a soldier. This can be either a member of the armed forces or volunteers, and to some extent also other types of resistance fighters. There are some restrictions, most importantly perhaps that they must be distinguishable from civilians. Usually this means uniforms (if possible) or openly carrying arms. I don't remember the exact details, you can read about it in some article of the Geneva Convention if you're interested. At any rate, they are considered military and should be treated as PoWs in case of capture.
An unlawful combatant is a civilian that participates in armed conflict but for some reason doesn't qualify as a lawful combatant. In case of capture, they are considered civilian.

The Geneva Convention does not, as far as I know, recognize any other status. You are either military or civilian. If your status is unclear, you are to be treated as a PoW until a tribunal declares you are one or the other.

Then of course, there's the "illegal enemy combatant" term. I have no idea what it is. If I remember correctly, it pretty much said that anyone that directly or indirectly has supported hostilities against the US can qualify. As far as I can tell, it's just something that was invented to help the administration sleep at night despite ignoring international law.

 

[Funkwerkz]

One Guantanamo goes, another Guantanamo comes.

Don't worry, people. New American Way (introduced by W Bush) will last for more. New address will be Guam island, i think.

 

[georges]

When you have dangerous detainees that have been proven guilty in 9/11/2001 with concrete facts, why letting them free ??? This is just an insane way of thinking. "Being reasonable with dangerous detainees" is a sentence that should never exist.