11, January 2012 Guantánamo
This week marks the tenth anniversary of the opening of America’s notorious detention camp at Guantánamo Bay.
Many senior military officials now admit that Guantánamo and Bagram Air force Base prison, which has largely escapes media scrutiny, continues to intensify the anger towards the US and increases terrorism. These prisons were opened following intense pressure from the Bush/Cheney White House who had little regard for the rule of law, international jurisprudence and Habeas Corpus. Many innocent victims were caught in the wide dragnet following the raw emotions of 9/11. According to data released from the Freedom of Information Act, in 2001 planeloads of leaflets were rained down in Afghanistan offering huge bounties for turning in suspected terrorists. Many villagers collected these bounties to settle family and tribal disputes and enriched themselves beyond their wildest dreams. Incredibly 171 prisoners are still languishing in these prisons.
It is time President Obama and the moribund members of Congress restore “core constitutional values” (Obama’s words) by closing the prisons at Guantanamo and Bagram Air force Base and oppose the Defense 2012 National Defense Authorization Act that Obama signed on New Year's Eve containing a sweeping provision that makes indefinite military detention, a permanent part of American law for the first time in this country's history. This is not just unconstitutional - it's just plain wrong.
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