I have to start by saying that I'm not happy with the world reputation that we (Americans) have due to the problems at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. Frankly, I'm not sure what we should do with these prisoners.
As an American, I think everyone deserves a fair trial. The prisoners are not Americans, but I still think they should be treated with respect and humanity. My understanding of the interrogation techniques is more than I care to understand.
But I also know that what hap pend almost 8 years ago was the most horrific thing that has happened to the United States in my lifetime. More horrific than the current crisis we face. Both the economic crisis and the perception crisis around the world. And if it takes housing prisoners in Cuba and interrogation techniques more horrific than I can imagine, then so be it.
Unfortunately, it looks like we will loose that bargaining chip. For the last 8 years, we've done it ourselves, prior to that we, outsourced those actions to other countries.
The New York Times is reporting that a former prisoner in Cuba, who was released in 2007, has risen to become a new chief within the Al Qaeda network. Is this a sign of things to come? I hope not. See the full article here.
3 comments:
Well, as aa fromer marine, I agree with Secretary Powell on this issue, it should have been always dealt with under Geneva convention standards and the USMJ.
We screwed ourselves a couple of ways by going the route we did, in my opinion. However, it could be argued that THIS is the reason we have not been attacked since 9/11, hopefully, it wasn't.
(A) Releasing a prisoner is a lot like releasing a salmon downstream...they always return upstream to spawn (and in this case, they return to spawn more terrorists)
and
(2) Since when do we take orders from the rest of the world?????
Personally, I say we should try them under U.S. military law & have them strung up by their toenails AFTER they are proven guilty. Get it over with and quit wasting the taxpayers' money keeping them around for nothing....
Edge: I like the analogy in part 1.
DJBA: I've never completely trusted Powell. I have a lot of respect for him. But to serve under Republican presidents for so long and not be able to endorse a Republican seems a little odd. He's the kind of guy I want leading a war, because he will do the job at hand. But his outside the war, I'm not sure I trust his politics.
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