Guantanamo Redux

[Lion]

The bold statement "close GTMO in one year" Can never happen.
Besides that I never could understand the problem with using a portion of GTMO as a detention facility for terrosists.

Define a terrorist. Some of the inmates were released after years of inprisonment because nothing was ever found. Years of their life just gone needlessly.

An inmate in there was captured around his 16th birthday. A few weeks would have classified him as a child soldier, and he should have gotten help. Instead he's stuck in there with no trial, for doing something he was brainwashed since he was young.

I have no doubt that there are evil people in there, but Gitmo represents everything that I believe America is against. Free speech, right to a fair and speedy trial, compassion...those are values that I believed Americans were most proud of. And absent in an American facility.

Gitmo should never have opened in the first place. As a foreigner, I respected the USA before. Before Gitmo, before Iraq, before the PATRIOT Act, before the whole Obama is a Muslim BS.

I hope Americans don't think that being tough doesn't earn them respect in the world.

[DuncanONeil]

Why should combatants captured in this war be treated different than those captured in any other war? These people were treated as well as any other war prisoners in US custody. They were even treated much the same as they would have been if the were actually members of a foreign nations army.
Many of the rights that accrue to our citizens do not so accrue to those that take arms against us. If we catch someone that has killed a US national in our embassy the same as the bank robber in Kansas City?
More over are those that actively seek to harm the country through their actions to be granted the same rights as a citizen of the US?

Oh the definition, Terrorist; a person that engages in the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.
On the other hand; the "unlawful combatant" does not have the "rights and privileges under the present Convention as would, if exercised in the favour of such individual person, be prejudicial to the security of such State." he does, however, retain the right "to be treated with humanity and, in case of trial, shall not be deprived of the rights of fair and regular trial prescribed by the present Convention."

Define a terrorist. Some of the inmates were released after years of inprisonment because nothing was ever found. Years of their life just gone needlessly.

An inmate in there was captured around his 16th birthday. A few weeks would have classified him as a child soldier, and he should have gotten help. Instead he's stuck in there with no trial, for doing something he was brainwashed since he was young.

I have no doubt that there are evil people in there, but Gitmo represents everything that I believe America is against. Free speech, right to a fair and speedy trial, compassion...those are values that I believed Americans were most proud of. And absent in an American facility.

Gitmo should never have opened in the first place. As a foreigner, I respected the USA before. Before Gitmo, before Iraq, before the PATRIOT Act, before the whole Obama is a Muslim BS.

I hope Americans don't think that being tough doesn't earn them respect in the world.

[VaAugusta]

These people were treated as well as any other war prisoners in US custody. They were even treated much the same as they...[/B][/COLOR]

Fortunately, Duncan has been to GTMO and can tell us how the people are/were treated.

No, but seriously people on the outside don't know what is going on in there. I'm sure Obama's campaign pledges were made prior to him having insight into the workings of the facility, and maybe after finding out information about it has now changed his opinion since he is more informed.. or should I say informed at all, unlike the people posting in this thread.

[DuncanONeil]

I may not have personally been there but my wife was. And I have seen what was built to care for the prisoners. As well as reports of the persons careing for them.

Don't like being inferred a liar.

Fortunately, Duncan has been to GTMO and can tell us how the people are/were treated.

No, but seriously people on the outside don't know what is going on in there. I'm sure Obama's campaign pledges were made prior to him having insight into the workings of the facility, and maybe after finding out information about it has now changed his opinion since he is more informed.. or should I say informed at all, unlike the people posting in this thread.