Colin Powell says Guantanamo should be closed

[mcpeepants]

Colin Powell says Guantanamo should be closed

Sun Jun 10, 10:51 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. Secretary of State
Colin Powell said on Sunday the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay for foreign terrorism suspects should be immediately closed and its inmates moved to the United States.
ADVERTISEMENT

Powell, who in a 2003 speech to the
U.N. Security Council made the case for war against
Iraq for possessing weapons of mass destruction that were never found, said the controversial prison in Cuba had become a "major problem" for the United States' image abroad and done more harm than good.

"Guantanamo has become a major, major problem ... in the way the world perceives America and if it were up to me I would close Guantanamo not tomorrow but this afternoon ... and I would not let any of those people go. I would simply move them to the United States and put them into our federal legal system," Powell told NBC's Meet the Press.

"Essentially, we have shaken the belief the world had in America's justice system by keeping a place like Guantanamo open and creating things like the military commission. We don't need it and it is causing us far more damage than any good we get for it," he added.

The United States is holding about 380 foreign terrorism suspects at Guantanamo.

Rights groups and foreign governments have called for the prison to be closed, saying holding prisoners there for years without trial violated legal standards. But Washington says the prison is legal and necessary to hold dangerous individuals.

"I would get rid of Guantanamo and the military commission system and use established procedures in federal law," Powell said, saying some leaders around the world were using Guantanamo to hide their own misdeeds.

"It's a more equitable way, and more understandable in constitutional terms," he added.

[Prada]

Rights groups and foreign governments have called for the prison to be closed, saying holding prisoners there for years without trial violated legal standards. But Washington says the prison is legal and necessary to hold dangerous individuals.

I would have to concur. Some perhaps not even been dealt with charges maybe were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. A scent of hypocrisy, IMHO.

[Musicman]

heard some crazy stories from a bunch of marines who were stationed there, shut that bitch down

[***xxx***]

it s the eyesore of the US. u should get democratic process working again, process what happend there and compensate the victims. make sure nothing like that happens again!

[RA]

Fine. Kill all the inmates, then close it down.

[Hoggage_54]

^ That's a good way to spread freedom and democracy.

[RA]

Only an idiot would let go enemy combatants while a war is going on. During the civil war did the north let captured southerners go? Its ridiculous.

^ That's a good way to spread freedom and democracy.

[Hoggage_54]

I never said to release them. You said they should all be killed first and then close it down. Read the facts, almost all of them are going to be released:

"Most of the detainees still at Guantanamo are not scheduled for trial. As of November 2006, according to MSNBC.com, out of 775 detainees who have been brought to Guantanamo, approximately 340 have been released, leaving 435 detainees. Of those 435, 110 have been labeled as ready for release. Of the other 325, only "more than 70" will face trial, the Pentagon says. That leaves about 250 who may be held indefinitely."

[BgMc31]

Only an idiot would let go enemy combatants while a war is going on. During the civil war did the north let captured southerners go? Its ridiculous.

How well did that work out after the war?

[RA]

So why not continue to hold the remaining prisoners in Guantanimo?

Because "Guantanamo has become a major, major problem ... in the way the world perceives America"

So who should we be modeling ourselves after. France, Germany, or Russia who were making underhanded deals prior to the war while an embargo was in place? The "world" if it wants to judge the US is a bunch of damn hypocrits.

I never said to release them. You said they should all be killed first and then close it down. Read the facts, almost all of them are going to be released:

"Most of the detainees still at Guantanamo are not scheduled for trial. As of November 2006, according to MSNBC.com, out of 775 detainees who have been brought to Guantanamo, approximately 340 have been released, leaving 435 detainees. Of those 435, 110 have been labeled as ready for release. Of the other 325, only "more than 70" will face trial, the Pentagon says. That leaves about 250 who may be held indefinitely."

[Hoggage_54]

So why not continue to hold the remaining prisoners in Guantanimo?

Because "Guantanamo has become a major, major problem ... in the way the world perceives America"

So who should we be modeling ourselves after. France, Germany, or Russia who were making underhanded deals prior to the war while an embargo was in place? The "world" if it wants to judge the US is a bunch of damn hypocrits.

By holding people who have either been cleared or not charged with anything, it makes the judicial process look like a joke. If you want to spread freedom and democracy, you have to set the example yourself. By going against the laws that are in place, like the Geneva Conventions, you are going to the same lows that the countries you are trying to spread freedom to are going by.

[RA]

Then hold a military tribunal like the pres asked for. They are not American citizens and shouldnt be treated as such.

[***xxx***]

So why not continue to hold the remaining prisoners in Guantanimo?

Because "Guantanamo has become a major, major problem ... in the way the world perceives America"

So who should we be modeling ourselves after. France, Germany, or Russia who were making underhanded deals prior to the war while an embargo was in place? The "world" if it wants to judge the US is a bunch of damn hypocrits.

yeah, and u forgot that the US built up saddam (like so many other dictators by funding him, giving weapons) and your country men also made deals with Iraq.

anyways - this doesn t matter: the US is supposed to be a democratic state - though the last years have shown the opposite. as a democratic country u can not detain ppl without trial, without access to legal help and ignore the GC.

hypocrisy, arrogance, bigottery, high-handedness and self-righteosness - a good description of the US politics, especially in the last 10 years. and u wonder why everybody is pissed off of the US?! look in the mirror man...

[BgMc31]

yeah, and u forgot that the US built up saddam (like so many other dictators by funding him, giving weapons) and your country men also made deals with Iraq.

anyways - this doesn t matter: the US is supposed to be a democratic state - though the last years have shown the opposite. as a democratic country u can not detain ppl without trial, without access to legal help and ignore the GC.

hypocrisy, arrogance, bigottery, high-handedness and self-righteosness - a good description of the US politics, especially in the last 10 years. and u wonder why everybody is pissed off of the US?! look in the mirror man...

In defense of my country, I would have to say that 10yrs is a little off base. 9/11 caused such a major panic in the US that many were willing (at the time) to give up personal freedoms in the name of safety. But many didn't realize the extent we would have to sacrifice and now are just now understanding how much of a threat giving up those personal freedoms are. It's the evolution of any democracy, and we are learning from those mistakes.

We have never been a perfect democracy. It's the attitude of some that portray that in world events that causes us the most turmoil.

[g101]

hes right

[***xxx***]

In defense of my country, I would have to say that 10yrs is a little off base. 9/11 caused such a major panic in the US that many were willing (at the time) to give up personal freedoms in the name of safety. But many didn't realize the extent we would have to sacrifice and now are just now understanding how much of a threat giving up those personal freedoms are. It's the evolution of any democracy, and we are learning from those mistakes.

We have never been a perfect democracy. It's the attitude of some that portray that in world events that causes us the most turmoil.

there is no perfect democracy - I just think it s appalling that so many normal ppl just acceptet what happend in Guantanamo. after 9/11 this would also be understandable (but not acceptable) - but 6 years later this prison can not be tolerated anymore by the americans and every free citizen should protest against such a violation of human rights.

we are not like our enemies. we are democratic countries and should not betray our (moral) values even when facing such a grimsome and ruthless enemy. this is what makes us different and right!

[***xxx***]

In defense of my country, I would have to say that 10yrs is a little off base. 9/11 caused such a major panic in the US that many were willing (at the time) to give up personal freedoms in the name of safety. But many didn't realize the extent we would have to sacrifice and now are just now understanding how much of a threat giving up those personal freedoms are. It's the evolution of any democracy, and we are learning from those mistakes.

We have never been a perfect democracy. It's the attitude of some that portray that in world events that causes us the most turmoil.

there is no perfect democracy - I just think it s appalling that so many normal ppl just acceptet what happend in Guantanamo. after 9/11 this would also be understandable (but not acceptable) - but 6 years later this prison can not be tolerated anymore by the americans and every free citizen should protest against such a violation of human rights.

we are not like our enemies. we are democratic countries and should not betray our (moral) values even when facing such a grimsome and ruthless enemy. this is what makes us different and right!