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Human rights groups say Obama has failed on Guantanamo

TheDemSocialist

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Leading human-rights groups accused President Barack Obama on Monday of not following through on a commitment to shut down the prison at Guantanamo Bay, the controversial U.S.-run military detention center in Cuba that has seen a mass hunger strike among its detainees in recent months.

In a letter to the president, 16 human-rights and civil-liberties organizations expressed deep concern that he has failed to fulfill commitments he made during a major counterterrorism speechearlier this year to tackle the issue of the prison, where the vast majority of inmates are being held without charge or prospects of release even though many have been cleared to be transferred or set free.

“More than four months have passed since you delivered your May 23, 2013, speech at the National Defense University, in which you recommitted the United States to the goal of closing the Guantanamo prison,” read the four-page letter, which was signed by such groups as the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, the Center for Constitutional Rights and Human Rights Watch.

“However, despite your personal commitment and engagement, the population at Guantanamo over the past four months has been reduced by only two detainees, moving only from 166 to 164. Of the detainees who remain, 84 were cleared for transfer by national security officials more than four years ago,” the letter added.


Read more @:
Human rights groups say Obama has failed on Guantanamo | Al Jazeera America

Although some minor progress has been made im deeply disappointed in this. I was excited in 2008 when he claimed he was going to close it and we got nothing. Then he made his big speech but only 2 detainees have been released to their home governments and this is deeply disappointing and disturbing. It seems Obama has put this back on the backburner.
 
Although some minor progress has been made im deeply disappointed in this. I was excited in 2008 when he claimed he was going to close it and we got nothing. Then he made his big speech but only 2 detainees have been released to their home governments and this is deeply disappointing and disturbing. It seems Obama has put this back on the backburner.

Most people agree it's necessary.



ps. Breaking News?
 
Most people agree it's necessary.
I would disagree that its necessary. Throwing people in a prison with no charges levied against them, only one ever been convicted, over 600 released at one point most released with no charges, only 4 ever been in front of a military commission and only 1 ever been convicted. That screams out that this prison is unnecessary.

ps. Breaking News?
That is correct this it the breaking news nonmsm section.
 
Read more @: [/FONT][/COLOR]Human rights groups say Obama has failed on Guantanamo | Al Jazeera America

Although some minor progress has been made im deeply disappointed in this. I was excited in 2008 when he claimed he was going to close it and we got nothing. Then he made his big speech but only 2 detainees have been released to their home governments and this is deeply disappointing and disturbing. It seems Obama has put this back on the backburner.

I'm guessing this is one of those things that a sitting President would fully understand. A candidate campaigning? Notsomuch. I don't really blame him. Whatever he's doing there is, I'd imagine, in our country's best interests.

I may be totally imagining this, but did I read that one of the detainees was recently KIA fighting for the other side? (I could be wrong here, but I thought I'd read that.)
 
Read more @: [/FONT][/COLOR]Human rights groups say Obama has failed on Guantanamo | Al Jazeera America

Although some minor progress has been made im deeply disappointed in this. I was excited in 2008 when he claimed he was going to close it and we got nothing. Then he made his big speech but only 2 detainees have been released to their home governments and this is deeply disappointing and disturbing. It seems Obama has put this back on the backburner.

And you don't think there could possibly be any reason why he would change his mind on the issue when he took off the tinfoil hat?
 
And you don't think there could possibly be any reason why he would change his mind on the issue when he took off the tinfoil hat?

What tinfoil hat? That statement about a tinfoil hat, is usually for conspiracy theorists. How is this at all a "tinfoil hat" kind of scenario?
 
Indefinite detention without trial is never ****ing necessary.

Gitmo is necessary. Military tribunals are fine for foreign enemy combatants captured in action against the US. In the old days, they'd just be shot.
 
And you don't think there could possibly be any reason why he would change his mind on the issue when he took off the tinfoil hat?

Congress passed a resolution forbidding him from bringing any Guantanamo prisoners on to American soil for trial. Could that have changed his mind?
 
Gitmo is necessary. Military tribunals are fine for foreign enemy combatants captured in action against the US. In the old days, they'd just be shot.

was berga necessary for the germans, that's where they sent some of our p.o.ws?

 
Read more @: [/FONT][/COLOR]Human rights groups say Obama has failed on Guantanamo | Al Jazeera America

Although some minor progress has been made im deeply disappointed in this. I was excited in 2008 when he claimed he was going to close it and we got nothing. Then he made his big speech but only 2 detainees have been released to their home governments and this is deeply disappointing and disturbing. It seems Obama has put this back on the backburner.
True. THis is one area where OBama caved to the GOP and never bothered to show backbone.
 
fine, then why is a camp like gitmo needed, especially when we have hundreds of high security prisons in mainland America that could suit the purpose of a prision.

They are enemy combatants captured in action against the US, not US justice system material.
 
They are enemy combatants captured in action against the US, not US justice system material.

soldiers serving what army? what flag are they loyal to? what country are they fighting in service for?

Terrorists have always been considered criminals, what is the reason that the United states decided to define the terrorists in Guantanamo bay as soldiers.
 
soldiers serving what army? what flag are they loyal to? what country are they fighting in service for?

Who said soldiers?

Terrorists have always been considered criminals, what is the reason that the United states decided to define the terrorists in Guantanamo bay as soldiers.

They are enemy combatants captured in action against the US. They are not merely terrorists.



You need to read the Geneva Convention and note the section about non-uniformed enemy combatants.
 
Who said soldiers?



They are enemy combatants captured in action against the US. They are not merely terrorists.



You need to read the Geneva Convention and note the section about non-uniformed enemy combatants.

why do we need to create a special designation for the terrorists we are fighting right now, when in the past terrorists have been tried as criminals.

Timothy Mcvay, Ramsey yousef, the lockerbie bomber. all three were terrorists and they did not have to be designated as enemy combatants.
 
why do we need to create a special designation for the terrorists we are fighting right now, when in the past terrorists have been tried as criminals.

Timothy Mcvay, Ramsey yousef, the lockerbie bomber. all three were terrorists and they did not have to be designated as enemy combatants.

If you really do not understand why Gitmo exists, I suppose you should research more and debate less.
 
Gitmo is necessary. Military tribunals are fine for foreign enemy combatants captured in action against the US. In the old days, they'd just be shot.

In the old days we did all sorts of inhuman ****, yes. But nowadays we have standards like the Geneva Convention we're supposed to adhere to. And don't give me bull**** about the "unlawful" enemy combatants technically not being subject to those protections. When you're using technicalities to justify violations of human rights, you've already surrendered the moral high ground.

We're supposed to be better than the people we're fighting.

Here's the thing: not all of these people were captured "in action." Some were literally just handed over by neighbors. For money.

If they're guilty of something, the government needs to present its evidence and convict them. In public. It's not particularly critical to me whether this happens in a civilian in court or not, my beef is with the fact that it's happening in secret. Justice done in secret is not justice.
 
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In the old days we did all sorts of inhuman ****, yes. But nowadays we have standards like the Geneva Convention we're supposed to adhere to. And don't give me bull**** about the "unlawful" enemy combatants technically not being subject to those protections. When you're using technicalities to justify violations of human rights, you've already surrendered the moral high ground.

and when we lose the moral high ground, then we have lost to the terrorists, because they caused so much fear and rage that we have forsaken our own morals.
 
In the old days we did all sorts of inhuman ****, yes. But nowadays we have standards like the Geneva Convention we're supposed to adhere to. And don't give me bull**** about the "unlawful" enemy combatants technically not being subject to those protections. When you're using technicalities to justify violations of human rights, you've already surrendered the moral high ground.

Yes, let's not consider the Geneva Convention as written. Let's use the Deuce translation.


If they're guilty of something, the government needs to present its evidence and convict them. In public. It's not particularly critical to me whether this happens in a civilian in court or not, my beef is with the fact that it's happening in secret. Justice done in secret is not justice.

The government is not about to release all intel gained from the prosecution of these enemy combatants. Expecting such is ridiculous. Using the desire not to divulge such intel as a platform for launching conspiracy theory is pathetic.
 
Read more @: [/FONT][/COLOR]Human rights groups say Obama has failed on Guantanamo | Al Jazeera America

Although some minor progress has been made im deeply disappointed in this. I was excited in 2008 when he claimed he was going to close it and we got nothing. Then he made his big speech but only 2 detainees have been released to their home governments and this is deeply disappointing and disturbing. It seems Obama has put this back on the backburner.

I'm all for for keeping Gitmo open and full. I think any AQ terrorist caught regardless of where should be sent there.
 
I'm all for for keeping Gitmo open and full. I think any AQ terrorist caught regardless of where should be sent there.

Thing is if they are AQ terrorists why do the majority of them let go scott free, why have very very very very very few been convicted?
 
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