Come on, guys.... I can't believe some of the posts you folks have posted in this thread.
Ok, its one thing to say Guantanamo Bay is not as bad as some made it out to be. Fine. Thats a reasonable opinion, even though we may disagree with it.
But its totally another thing to suggest that keeping people there is better than their own homes. Yeah, fine so there are a few doofus who think so (doofus = folks allegedly interviewed for these news stories). But... be honest. Just the fact that a guy is in captivity, regardless of the dimensions of their cell (comparatively speaking) or that they get three square meals are served... its no alternative to freedom.
To argue that people rather be in an army detention camp, with no visibility of what their future holds for them, than be reunited with their families in their own homes... is really bizzare.
As prisons go it is a world ahead of most third world prisons.
My point is, that these 500 odd people are a long way from home, waging war in a foreign country as free lance foreign fighters, without the support of their government.
What did they expect? Did they think about the consequences of going to war? You are worried about their freedom, these people were rogue killers.
You are right, prison is prison. Tell them we estimate the War on Al-Qaedda to take at least a decade. Give them a good estimate that matches how long the American people believe they will be fighting thier compatriots.
There are horrific prison cells everywhere, which are not even known to exist publicly. One such prison cell was in the Lahore Fort, beneath the old cells and dungeons, where alot of the 65 Indian POWs were thrown in.
We are not arguing, atleast on the face of it, why those people are captured or whether they were goofballs to be fighting for Talibaan or dedicated soldiers who fought for what they believed to be the right way. That is another discussion. What this thread attempts to discuss is the news story that some people found Guantanamo to be nice place to live; and then some people here defending that Guantanamo is probably a better life for these people than back home as free men.
I find this line of argument bizzare.
Guantanamo is inhumane not simply because these men were transported with blindfolds on or that they were made to walk with shakles etc. Guantanamo is so inhumane because the captives there, are not treated as POW's, they are called "Enemy Combatants", they have no contact with their families, international human rights agencies are provided little or no access, and there is no guidance on what does the future hold for them.
Many of these prisoners are presumably detained due to their ties with Al-Qaeeda. Al-Qaeeda is not a government or a country, so there is no peace treaty which can be signed, before these prisoners are released. Therefore, it is inconceivable that without a due process of law, any one can claim for sure what crimes these people have committed and how long will they remain in detention.
Capturing and confining 14 and 13 year olds in cages for almost 2 years for nothing more than being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time...How unjust is that?
Advice to Americans: Don't go around draped in your flag which at one time represented justice and liberty...The mask is down and America today stands naked in all its gory ugliness...Underneath that facade of gentleness and justice was an ugly monster which now stands exposed to the world...We have a lot to be thankful to the Bush family for, for it was truly under their command that America now stands exposed for what it truly is...A war-mongering, greedy, unscrupulous nation of bureucrats which milk the common American to create a war machine to attack and pillage other nations for their supremacy...
Beacuse they have no contact with thier families. Incorrect. They exchange letters with their families throught the Red Cross, subject to military censorship.
Because they have no access to Human rights agencies? Wrong. The sole authority to administer the Geneva Conventions is the Red Cross. The Red Cross makes frequent and unannounced visits, and can visit every corner of the camp. They can meet individually with every prisoner.
Because they have no guidance on what the future holds for them? Yes. That is perfectly acceptable to me, as their terrorist friends have not informed us when they will cease "martyrdom" opperations against the people of our country.
Because they cannot form a peace treaty with Al-Qaedda? This is plain stupid. Bin Laden issued a Fatwa in 1998, it was published in AL Quds in London, essentially declaring war on the United States. If they can figure out how to declare war, they can figure out how to declare peace.
Now do I feel sorry for any really innocent person caught up on the battlefield? Absolutely! Do I want my country to be absolutely careful, and not release some terrorist who will turn around and attack us again? Yes. 550 guys from 40 different countries caught on a battlefield? Come on, you can't REALLY believe that they were not there to kill people.
Guantanamo is perhaps the most visible way to deter future violent/jihadi's from running off to war. So be it.
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Kaleem,
I hope everyone who assaulted a US female soldier is convicted and thrown into a US military prison.
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If this in regards to Jesssica Lynch...maybe they should also punish all those who made it more than it was. Made for TV, publicity drama. enough said. It does not matter what the conditions are at guantanamo, some of the people there are innocent...hell all of them are innocent becasue they have not been told what crimes they commited and yes they were never charged much less convicted. Furthermore, US does not allow any country to try their service men eventhough are charged with heinous crimes. Maybe you want to think about all of these things befor professing good conditions at Guantanamo parroted by a teenager.
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Guantanamo is perhaps the most visible way to deter future violent/jihadi's from running off to war. So be it.
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How should world deal with US for forcing war on nations that had nothing to do with 9/11? How do you propose we stop US from killing, destroying inncoent nations in the future just becasue their president has a hunch? US demolished Afghanistan...for what..because they did not give up Osama? How is Afghanistan a better place now? Care to explain that? US invaded and destroyed Iraq for WMDs and "imminent threat"? None of which has been proven. On top of that Osama may very well be behind 9/11, but where is the proof that was touted? Has any other nation seen that proof? Better yet has the american public seen that proof?
OG, I gave you too much credit, I thought you were reffering to Iraqi men who were accused of raping Jessica Lynch....never mind, I should have known. :)
Guantanamo Bay is the most glaring, blatant and visible example of the American justice system...A system which has been challenged and proven to be inhumane and unjust by the entire world except those that refuse to see it as thus...
And thanks to Guantanamo Bay, we know the recklessness and total disregard that America has for international laws and rights of the citizens of the world, and now is the hallmark by which even non-Jihadis are convinced of America's dislike of all that is just and fair...
Today, Guantanamo Bay is cited as an example of America's brutality of apprehending and persecuting innocents in the Mujahideen's search for recruits...All that is needed to convince a new crop of Mujahids is to cite how America castigates and detains innocent Muslims in its quest for supremacy...
Once again, we have a Bush to be thankful for it...
I say re-elect Bush...The man must be given one more term to truly erase any existing traces of fake civility from America's face...