The founding fathers were fed up with injustices in the old world and established the USA on a set of principles including the right to confront one's accusers, the right to a defense, the right to legal counsel, the right to a speedy trial by jury, basic human rights to decent treatment while in detention, and the right of non-self incrimination. The Guantanamo and other similar facilities fly in the face of the entire premise for the founding of the USA.
If we cannot convict these people, then they must be freed. Not detained. Freed and deported. Better another building goes down than we abandon our principles. In a war of ideals, the one who abandons his ideals first for the illusion of safety loses. That would be the USA that is the loser here. We're the big guys with the big powers and we have been acting like a bunch of frightened little girls.
Furthermore, those responsible for tossing our ideals overboard, authorizing torture, and callously profiteering from the confusion are traitors and must be brought to justice or there will be a next time and we cannot afford a next time.
Comments (4)
In fairness, this is already underway.
Just thought I'd add --
After Waterboarding: How to Make Terrorists Talk?
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1901491,00.html
(Answer: a handful of sugar-free cookies.)
http://www.legitgov.org/
"Underway" my butt! Release them. Simple as that. A single executive order could enact this change, it could have been completed by midnight Jan 21.
The detainees should NOT be given trials in U. S. courts. Those who engaged in hostilities toward our troops in foreign countries have never been tried under the criminal justice system. The should properly be handled by the military as prisoners of war, in accordance with all treaties signed by the U.S.
It is my understanding that the "enhanced interrogation techniques" were developed specifically because the do not meet the definition of torture given in any applicable treaty.
Interrogation under drugs would likely be more effective, but is prohibited.