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United Nations: U.S. Operation Of Gitmo Is ‘Clear Breach Of International Law’

What is GITMO about?


  • Total voters
    40
  • Poll closed .

DaveFagan

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United Nations: U.S. Operation Of Gitmo Is 'Clear Breach Of International Law' | ThinkProgress

" The United States’ continued operation of the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba is a “clear breach of international law,” United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay said today, Reuters reports. Only six trials have been completed in 10 years, while eight detainees have died at the prison. “While fully recognizing the right and duty of states to protect their people and territory from terrorist acts, I remind all branches of the U.S. government of their obligation under international human rights law to ensure that individuals deprived of their liberty can have the lawfulness of their detention reviewed before a court,” Pillay said. “Where credible evidence exists against Guantanamo detainees, they should be charged and prosecuted. Otherwise, they must be released.” "

This short paragraph does cause questions as to the nature of Gitmo. Prison or gulag? Justice?
 
WE read a lot about GITMO and this presents an opportunity to see how the general populace feels about it, or thinks about it, or doesn't think about it. I definitely agree with the UN especially the quote, “Where credible evidence exists against Guantanamo detainees, they should be charged and prosecuted. Otherwise, they must be released.”
 
WE read a lot about GITMO and this presents an opportunity to see how the general populace feels about it, or thinks about it, or doesn't think about it. I definitely agree with the UN especially the quote, “Where credible evidence exists against Guantanamo detainees, they should be charged and prosecuted. Otherwise, they must be released.”

I look at Gitmo as a prisoner of war camp. The fact that we give unlawful combatants the same protections as lawful ones is, in my opinion, a gift.
 
None of the polling choices really are representative of what it really is. Didn't vote.
 
IMO, its over, the Islamics have made their point. We, like it or not ,must comply.
"Superpower" means nothing.
Islam should make their point at the UN General Assembly.
If they have legitimate grievances, these should be addressed.
And I think these actions should have occurred years ago, even before 9-11.
We do have a UN, do we not ?
So, then we and the world should use it !
And, I do believe that it was a criminal attack against us, and that, this being the case, the UN can do nothing, including any actions against "GITMO".
NO VOTE, the choices are really biased and prejudiced.
 
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IMO, its over, the Islamics have made their point. We, like it or not ,must comply.
"Superpower" means nothing.
Islam should make their point at the UN General Assembly.
If they have legitimate grievances, these should be addressed.
And I think these actions should have occurred years ago, even before 9-11.
We do have a UN, do we not ?
So, then we and the world should use it !
And, I do believe that it was a criminal attack against us, and that, this being the case, the UN can do nothing, including any actions against "GITMO".

We do have a UN, but it pretty worthless for anything besides soaking up money and meddling into the affairs of sovereign nations. As far as I'm concerned, get rid of the UN completely.
 
I don't outright understand - still - why Gitmo PoW's are inturned in a place separated from the US itself.

It's illogical - I've always thought it should be shut down and I hoped that, of all the many things Obama did - that he'd manage at least that much.

So I'm not surprised the UN feels this way - I see it how they see it.
 
We do have a UN, but it pretty worthless for anything besides soaking up money and meddling into the affairs of sovereign nations. As far as I'm concerned, get rid of the UN completely.

Come on, Lizzie, you aren't giving this most august body a fair shake.

Without the U.N., how else would a collection of representatives from tin pot dictatorships and knuckle dragging third world hell holes be able to influence public perception by utilizing an appeal to both authority and popularity?

Heck, and I won't even talk about their excellent track record for elevating the foxes to positions of responsibility vis a vis the chicken coup as is so abundantly apparent by the fine collection of member states making up the UNHRC.
 
Come on, Lizzie, you aren't giving this most august body a fair shake.

Without the U.N., how else would a collection of representatives from tin pot dictatorships and knuckle dragging third world hell holes be able to influence public perception by utilizing an appeal to both authority and popularity?

Heck, and I won't even talk about their excellent track record for elevating the foxes to positions of responsibility vis a vis the chicken coup as is so abundantly apparent by the fine collection of member states making up the UNHRC.

Yes- I think they should publish a monthly UN magazine with a dictator-of-the-month centerfold. ;)
 
I didn't vote in the poll because you didn't have a selection that described Gitmo as an unfortunate necessity brought about by the War on Terror.

Anyway, in response to Mr. Pillay...perhaps he would accept these prisoners into his own country and, if they are released, he would personally take responsibility and recompense all victims of these terrorist's action.

If not, then he should just STFU.
 
I look at Gitmo as a prisoner of war camp. The fact that we give unlawful combatants the same protections as lawful ones is, in my opinion, a gift.

Is it a gift to give innocent people the same protections as lawful combatants also? Either way they haven't been given the same protections as lawful combatants, lawful combatants can't be tortured.
 
We do have a UN, but it pretty worthless for anything besides soaking up money and meddling into the affairs of sovereign nations. As far as I'm concerned, get rid of the UN completely.

Well the safe-haven system in Iraqi Kurdistan is one example of their meddling in the affairs of sovereign nations to great effect, as is the gulf war
 
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Is it a gift to give innocent people the same protections as lawful combatants also? Either way they haven't been given the same protections as lawful combatants, lawful combatants can't be tortured.

I've never thought of GITMO as a POW camp. Many of the detainees are there as a result of "rendition" and that same "rendition" would be kidnapping in any country. Somehow the point that many of the inmates in GITMO may not have been terrorists, nor from Afghanistan. Abu Grabass was a POW camp. Many of the GITMO inmates have not been charged with anything. Others can't/shouldn't be charged because evidence collected by torture is inadmissable in US Courts. GITMO is maintained so that they get Military justice and that is adjustable, even opaque. Don't make the assumption that all the inmates at GITMO are guilty. That is for sure not true. I'm certainly anti-terrorist, but not at the price of a corrupted Gulag system.
 
I've never thought of GITMO as a POW camp. Many of the detainees are there as a result of "rendition" and that same "rendition" would be kidnapping in any country. Somehow the point that many of the inmates in GITMO may not have been terrorists, nor from Afghanistan. Abu Grabass was a POW camp. Many of the GITMO inmates have not been charged with anything. Others can't/shouldn't be charged because evidence collected by torture is inadmissable in US Courts. GITMO is maintained so that they get Military justice and that is adjustable, even opaque. Don't make the assumption that all the inmates at GITMO are guilty. That is for sure not true. I'm certainly anti-terrorist, but not at the price of a corrupted Gulag system.

Well we know almost for certain that many of these people are not terrorists, given that so many have been released (after many years of torture) without charge. Even Eichmann was given a fair trial, saying that these prisoners are somehow privileged beggars belief.
 
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Well we know almost for certain that many of these people are not terrorists, given that so many have been released (after many years of torture) without charge. Even Eichmann was given a fair trial, saying that these prisoners are somehow privileged beggars belief.

Khalid Sheik Mohammed is a perfect example of what is wrong with Guantanamo. He is allegedly the man who cut off Daniel Pearl's head. If he were to be tried in the States, there is a high likelihood he'd be acquitted because evidence gained as a result of torture is not admissable and he was waterboarded nearly a hundred times. The guy's a scumbag but the system is certainly flawed. There is no problem trying this guy with a military tribunal and the verdict is not in doubt. The military tribunals are not exactly USA type justice and are usually gamed to garner pre-determined results. All I'm really alluding to is that if our system works and we are not doing anything wrong, then we should be able to try KSM stateside and get an honest verdict. We have created this problem with our own illegality. That would be the torture. Even the torture goes back to Abu Ghraib where GWShiiteForBrains should have stood up for the scumbags England and Graner that were torturing as a matter of US policy from the highest level and then go to jail for ldoing their job. Shrub did not have the intestinal fortitude to back up his soldiers who were following his orders. It's not hard to figure out where all these problems came from.
 
Well the safe-haven system in Iraqi Kurdistan is one example of their meddling in the affairs of sovereign nations to great effect, as is the gulf war

Agree with you completely. Imo, we should never have been there in the first place. I don't favor intervention in the affairs of others, nor do I support nation-building. All I support as far as foreign affairs, is strict business dealings. If someone else brings war to our shores, then it's a new ballgame altogether.
 
Agree with you completely. Imo, we should never have been there in the first place. I don't favor intervention in the affairs of others, nor do I support nation-building. All I support as far as foreign affairs, is strict business dealings. If someone else brings war to our shores, then it's a new ballgame altogether.

No no i assure you that you don't :mrgreen: I meant 'to great effect' as in 'the interventions where good' the safe haven system for all its faults saved tens, if not hundreds of thousands of lives.
 
We're going to need Gitmo even more in the future when the indefinite detention of American citizens who are accused of aiding terrorism begins.

We'll need to expand it to include the reeducation of dissidents to love, but simply just love Big Brother.
 
I don't understand why we can't try these people, and just get rid of GITMO.
 
Why is there a new thread about Gitmo now? Obama closed it in his first year as President. I'm sure he did. I mean, he promised.

.
 
GITMO is passe. Why all the concern over GITMO while the black ops prisons in Bahgram and other parts of the world have been expanded? Oh...thats right...we dont really need to talk about such things now that Bush isnt president. Now its just a wise president fighting terror, and...son of a gun...terrorists dont actually deserve constitutional rights and due process after all. Huh...who knew it would be so hard enforcing US laws on citizens of one country captured in another country while engaging in terror related activities.
 
GITMO is passe. Why all the concern over GITMO while the black ops prisons in Bahgram and other parts of the world have been expanded? Oh...thats right...we dont really need to talk about such things now that Bush isnt president. Now its just a wise president fighting terror, and...son of a gun...terrorists dont actually deserve constitutional rights and due process after all. Huh...who knew it would be so hard enforcing US laws on citizens of one country captured in another country while engaging in terror related activities.

Right. The current pres looks a lot like my avatar.
 
I don't understand why we can't try these people, and just get rid of GITMO.

If it were me, I'd send them all back to where they came from, and next time, take no prisoners. If you're gonna fight a war, then fight the war to kill. If you're not, then get the hell out.
 
If it were me, I'd send them all back to where they came from, and next time, take no prisoners. If you're gonna fight a war, then fight the war to kill. If you're not, then get the hell out.

So...

You condone murdering the enemy after they've surrendered?

Or do you think we should leave before they have a chance to surrender?
 
If it were me, I'd send them all back to where they came from, and next time, take no prisoners. If you're gonna fight a war, then fight the war to kill. If you're not, then get the hell out.

If they surrender we capture them. If they have committed crimes, then we try them, in a court of laws. Because we're supposed to be the good guys, remember.
 
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