June 10, 2007, More unsolicited advice
In this case, that would be former Secretary of State Colin Powell calling for the closure of the detention facility at Guantanano Bay. Powell suggested he would close it not tomorrow, but this afternoon-- immediately, and move its detainees to within the United States, with full access to the appropriate legal system, whether the federal courts or proper military courts martial. Powell correctly notes that the perception of the United States running a legal black hole undermines our standing in the world and our carrying out our strategic goals in combatting terror, and it would be better if we were back into integrity.
Of course, GOP Presidential candidate the literal-creationist Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee disputes Powell's view, suggesting that it's best that we flush our Constitution and principles down the toilet out of the irrational fear that one of the GTMO detainees may some day highjack an airplane, or something (something that absolutely none of the over 400 detainees who have been released from GTMO would ever dream of).
Although Powell will, rightly, be forever tarred for his United Nations dog and pony show about non-existent Iraq WMDs, which fooled no one present at the Security Council meeting, but went a long way to assuage a few naysayers in the American media to quiet down what little was left of effective domestic dissent to our Excellent Iraq Adventure at that time, Powell's State Department was one of the few beacons of decency in the Bush Adminsitration. Powell was constantly objecting to the torture memos, to the trashing of the Geneva Conventions and to the other evasions of law that led to GTMO, Bagram, Ghost Prisons, the extraordinary rendition morass and the other outrages of which GTMO is but one. Of course...
The President never listened to Powell when he was Secretary of State! Heck, the President's current Defense Secretary has said GTMO should be closed... I daresay... Powell's "suggestions" on this will be treated with the same deference as Powell's "suggestions" as the Secretary of State.
In short, I wouldn't expect too much GTMO wise for at least the next 590 days or so.