President Obama is sure attempting to clean house and show a vote for change with his executive order to shut down Guantanamo by 2010. Don’t get me wrong, change in itself is not a bad thing (and can be a very good thing). HOWEVER, change for change sake without regard for its consequences can be quite tragic. So that we’re all on the same page here’s a paragraph from the executive order found at www.whitehouse.gov.
EXECUTIVE ORDER — REVIEW AND DISPOSITION OF INDIVIDUALS DETAINED AT THE GUANTÁNAMO BAY NAVAL BASE AND CLOSURE OF DETENTION FACILITIES
Sec. 3. Closure of Detention Facilities at Guantánamo. The detention facilities at Guantánamo for individuals covered by this order shall be closed as soon as practicable, and no later than 1 year from the date of this order. If any individuals covered by this order remain in detention at Guantánamo at the time of closure of those detention facilities, they shall be returned to their home country, released, transferred to a third country, or transferred to another United States detention facility in a manner consistent with law and the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States.
(5) Consideration of Issues Relating to Transfer to the United States. The Review shall identify and consider legal, logistical, and security issues relating to the potential transfer of individuals currently detained at Guantánamo to facilities within the United States, and the Review participants shall work with the Congress on any legislation that may be appropriate.
Here are some immediate questions that I have:
- What’s the problem with Guantanamo in the first place?
- If Guantanamo inmates were kept off US soil because of their threat to the US then why consider bringing them to the US when they are still a threat?
- Because these inmates are a threat it is going to cost the AMERICAN TAX PAYER MORE MONEY because of the time, effort, man hours, and the potential threat the inmates will pose to the Military personal transporting them.
ANSWER 1:
Who in their right mind would say that there was nothing wrong with what the American Soldiers did to the inmates at Guantánamo. However, once the horrible treatment of the inmates was discovered the soldiers that were involved were charged and removed. There have been no more allegations of such treatment from Guantánamo since then. So what is the problem now. A question for those who believe it should be shut down: should every prison that America controls close up shop because the guards mistreat the inmates? I didn’t think so. So I ask again. If the problem is with the guards and that have been removed then what reason is there to close the base? The only thing that is going to happen is that the Tax Payer will once again be charged for an unneeded expense.
ANSWER 2:
The purpose of Guantánamo is to house those people who are and pose a threat to the people of the United States. These are the people who qualify for Military Tribunals. Here is an excerpt from an Executive Order that was signed by President Bush that defines those who qualify for tribunals.
Sec. 948b. Military commissions generally
- (a) Purpose— This chapter establishes procedures governing the use of military commissions to try alien unlawful enemy combatants engaged in hostilities against the United States for violations of the law of war and other offenses triable by military commission. Here’s the link to the pdf
The American Court system was created to establish justice and a rule of law against an individual(s) within the United States. The purpose of a Military Tribunal is to establish a rule of law and justice against those individuals who intend to do harm against the citizens of the United States. In addition, a person is tried in an American court if they have acted in a hostile manner against the laws (protected by the Police and District Attorney) of that particular state or the Constitution of the United States. The Guantánamo inmates were not hostile to the laws of the land but against the United States as a country which is protected by the Military.
As such the American Court system does not have the business of prosecuting those it was never intended to prosecute.
ANSWER 3:
If there is no good reason to shut down the prison and there is no good reason to put the inmates on American soil or in the American court system then there is no good reason to force the American Tax Payer to pay for the direct and indirect changes. Here are a few of the changes:
- Transportation of the inmates
- Additional guards to maintain order during the transportation
- Additional facilities to house the addition prisoners and additional guards for that prison or detention center.
- Resources and logistics to coordinate such a transfer.
Laws that support the fair treatment of people everywhere is something that everyone should support. However, causing the tax payer to pay for those laws that do not support American Interests is irresponsible.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?!?!?!?
UPDATE: Second look at Gitmo?
UPDATE: Close-Gitmo Dems won’t put money where their mouths are
UPDATE: 11 Gitmo recidivists on Saudi’s Most Wanted List
UPDATE: Obama losing on Gitmo
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