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While watching the news I heard something that outraged me. President Obama had issued an order to halt court proceedings on all prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, the Navy Detention Center which has been the center of many human rights issues over the last 8 years.
Unfortunately, one of those cases, was against the leader and head strategist behind the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. This man, suspected Al Qaeda bomber Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, has thus had all charges against him, wait for it....DROPPED!
I believe in justice and I believe in innocent until proven guilty. However, the evidence against Mr. al-Nashiri, is indisputable. As I understand it, there is a possible opportunity to re-draw up charges against him, but...this will no doubt lead to a dangerous time of reprieve.
So my questions to you are: have you heard about this, what do you think, what have you heard and if you were advisor to the President, what would you tell him to do?
6 comments:
An executive order which mandates that the military commissions be halted pending the outcome operations at Guantamo is why the pending case against Al-Nashiri has been frozen. Charges against Al-Nashiri will most likely be brought against him at a later date and they have confirmed that he will remain jailed for a long time. The problem that exists is that the CIA has fully admitted he was among terrorist suspects that they subjected to water boarding during the interrogation process.
Obama wants to see it to it that terrorist suspects are given the same treatment as the rest of the U.S. prisoners. A right to a fair trial in the U.S. does not mean torturing or water boarding, therefore, these suspects no matter how horrendous they may be deserve the same legal process as the rest of our prisoners (a lot of whom have committed horrendous crimes as well!)
This move is simply a delay until we can find a way to treat these prisoners fairly like every other prisoner in the U.S.
I have no doubt Obama agrees that what Al-Nashiri did was a disgusting crime.
However, the way we have treated terror suspects in pretty heinous as well and it's embarrassing to the U.S. military and legal system. When prisoners are tortured they'll admit to just about anything guilty or not. There are detainee's being held that are not guilty but were tortured into giving confessions. We need to make sure we go about the legal process correctly so to not keep those prisoners whom are not guilty.
We cannot treat terror suspects any different from our own criminals. I agree that what they have done is a crime against humanity and deserve the highest degree of punishment. However, we have prisoners here in the U.S. that have committed crimes that are just as awful and they got a fair trial.
As a leading country in the world we need to uphold to our own morals and values. This inclueds a right to a fair trial no matter how guilty the suspect may be. We cannot say one thing here and treat other's any different.
Interesting and compelling.
I don't agree with the torture treatments...there are simply inhumane. Then again, so were the actions these men and women took against innocents. Irregardless, two wrongs don't make a right.
Though I can appreciate the level of justice Obama appears to want to give to the terrorists, I'm not entirely convinced of his motives or the motives of those surrounding him politically.
Where is the justice when you drop the charges? Where is the justice to the people whose lives were taken and the empty arms of the families members who loved them? I don't believe in torture, but I certainly don't agree with dropping the charges. That's ludacris and its completely the opposite of justice. How can we seek out justice by eliminating it?
I guess, and maybe I'm just a little brain dead right now because I have a cold, but I don't understand why it was neccessary to drop charges on a known terrorist who killed many, in order to stop torture. Can't we just stop the torture? Can't we just enforce the strictest of penalities against those who violent the anti-torture laws?
In my opinion, it just shows our weakness in defense and justice. We look like a country that has no clue what its doing.
Thank you for your thoughts Summer...as always.
My concern is that when President Obama signed the executive order, he did so without a well thought out plan regarding the steps that it will take to close the base down. The order says that the base will be closed in a year. However, what happens during that time? If I was an advisor to President Obama, I would recommend that he had put more time, thought discussion and research into this BEFORE the executive order. I am not saying that I would have advise for or against the executive order. It just appears that the President made a decision without taking all the possibilites into consideration.
I couldn't disagree more with Summernicole. These people are TERROR suspects. Guess what they do when they "capture" (kidnap)American's or allies...they MURDER them. They TORTURE them in ways that our liberal democrats who keep whining over, is so beyond them they will never be able to grasp, because they like living in a bubble.
I have absolutely NO problem with water boarding, and I'm saying this as a SOLDIERS wife, water board them until they tell the truth. It's NOT torture. If that's the worst they ever have to deal with, they are blessed.
I'm not surprised by our President's decision. I think he's very ignorant (in the true definition) of how the military is conducted, how Prisons of War are to be handled, etc and that he's got a lot to learn. I will say if our country is attacked, we WILL know who to blame this time around in our Government, and it will not be our Former President.
I don't know much about this. But i do pray that God's will be done and that the President will make decisions in accordance with God's will whether he realizes what he is doing or not. Which to be quite honest i think this might be the best way for us to pray for our President because i question if he truly does understand the Job at hand and how to make wise decisions as President of the U.S.A. If i am wrong than may God forgive me and be gracious but if i am right may God still be gracious and merciful!
Blessings to you :)
I haven't heard a thing about it, which is why I read the London papers and try to get an idea of what actually happens here. I will say I am enjoying the London Daily Mail's use of the word, Obamaisms and showing him banging his head into Marine One.
I have no ill will against him, but I sure wish the press would do its job and end this love affair. It's pathetic.
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