March 18, 2007, Damned allies keep releasing worst of worst!
This Washington Post story tells us that evidently, our allies in Riyadh seem to be objectively pro-terrorist, at least insofar as insisting on promptly releasing, usually within weeks, those people that we have deemed worthy of release from Guantanamo Bay's open-ended (and once open-air) detention center. Indeed, according to a report by two Washington, D.C. lawyers Anant Raut and Jill M. Friedman, who represent detainees and did an analysis of 24 of the Saudi detainees so far released (about whom data is available), most of those we release are promptly released by their home countries.
This is quite consistent with what we learned, for example, from Moazzam Begg, who was released by our back-stabbing British allies within hours of his return to Britain. It seems that, quite often, if our government has no basis to continue holding people... neither does the detainee's. The difference is that other governments seem capable of doing this within days or weeks, if not hours... while ours takes years, and still has over half the detainees sent to GTMO still in custody, with only ten ever charged, and only one currently charged (none tried... of course.)
Which adds yet another a lie to "The Tale of the Worst of the WorstTM", to wit, the "we have to continue to hold people because we won't release people to their home country who is likely to abuse or torture them" lie. (Think about the Uighurs that we have sent to Albania, for example.) Setting the somdwhat unusual case of China aside, which, unlike Saudi Arabia and Yemen, does have a history of poor treatment towards its Moslem minority, it does seem that this sounds like Orwellian code for "we don't want to be embarrassed about holding someone completely innocent for so long and will grasp at any excuse possible to avoid that embarrassment."
Feel free to consider our history of accurate accusations in the War on Terror, starting with GTMO Chaplain James Yee and work your way back; links to my other interviews are at the end of the post. Other whoppers we have been fed over the years include canards such as "captured on the battlefield", "all trained killers", "worst of the worst", "giving us valuable intelligence", "asymmetrical warfare", and, well... things that the media will merrily repeat from the Administration. Well, as I said... read what the players who were there have to say... and draw your own conclusions. (Please note that I have, from time to time, asked officials from the government, the military, members of the "regular media" and other officials associated with the policy to talk to me; some have politely declined, while most have simply ignored my requests.)
And there you have it. It seems that although some in Congress (such as Jack Murtha) are calling for legislation effectively ending the GTMO outrage, most members of what had been a rather feckless Democratic opposition are now willing to be part of a feckless Democratic majority that does not want to lift a finger to end one of America's most visible moral outrages. So, perhaps, it comes down to the rest of us to keep the pressure on...
The ongoing abuse of a few hundred (or perhaps, a few thousand, counting other locations) men swept up in our net, is perhaps not so outrageous when measured against the evils of the world (or even the history of our own nation, which has interned Japanese Americans, massacred Native Americans, enslaved African Americans, etc.) But this is our nation in our time, supposedly to protect us. And there we have it. To quote from (unbelievably!) former Michigan Governor George "father of Mitt" Romney, If not now, when? If not us, who?
Comments
I'd answer your question but ... oh look! Over there! It's some scrawny-ass supermodel cleaning garbage bins in New York City for being a vicious cunt!
Gotta go. E! Tonite is on. Priorities, y'know?
- Badtux the Typical American Penguin
Posted by BadTux at March 20, 2007 12:54 AM