Joint Chiefs Chair: Close Gitmo
By Mr. Ed Posted in 2008 — Comments (4) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Personally, I'm not sure what to think of this.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080113/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/guantanamo_joint_c...
The story indicates President Bush and Defense Secretary Gates have also spoken publicly about closing Gitmo.
I'm hearing conflicting reports as to what the legal status of detainees would be if they were to be transferred to Ft. Leavenworth. Some say recent court decisions have determined their legal status would remain as it was/is in Cuba. Others say such a transfer would give the detainees legal rights they do not now have. Yet others say their legal status is still being considered by the courts.
In any case, I find it interesting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is now recommending Gitto close, primarily due to how it is negatively impacting U.S. foreign relations.
Since McCain and Huckabee have been advocating its closure, does this give their stance any more credibility?
Huck and McCain added to the avalanche of close Gitmo voices---the Pentagon does not want to fight political battles. The Pentagon hears all democratic Presidential candidates and 3 of the 6 Republican Presidential candidates call for closing Gitmo.
End result, the Pentagon figures it will happen anyway, and gets on board.
This is exactly why McCain and Huck should NOT win the Republican nomination for President.
...is NOT impacted by their transfer to Leavenworth (i.e., they don't receive habeus corpus rights), could you support closing Gitmo?
Mr. Ed
Straight from the Horse's Mouth
I am an attorney (albeit a patent lawyer), and my understanding is that the law on this issue is not settled. So closing Gitmo and moving the detainees to the US is essentially inviting the ACLU to argue in court that habeas corpus applies.
This is not a risk we should even consider taking. It is bad enough that the Geneva convention (a treaty with specific requirements for who is entitled to POW treatment) has been interpretted in US courts to require similar treatment to terrorists.
Bad idea . . . after bad idea.
Illinicon must have posted his while I was composing mine.
Great minds and great bladders think alike.
Mr. Ed
Straight from the Horse's Mouth