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| Re: Obama Frees Five Prisoners From Gitmo! (1190522) | |||
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Re: Obama Frees Five Prisoners From Gitmo! |
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Posted by Nilet on Mon Jun 2 22:20:05 2014, in response to Re: Obama Frees Five Prisoners From Gitmo!, posted by Fred G on Mon Jun 2 22:08:49 2014. The people imprisoned in Guantanamo aren't enemy combatants; they're civilians accused of plotting or committing violent crimes. ("Terrorism" is a motivation, not a crime itself per se.)To be an "enemy combatant" requires a war (a real war; the "War On Terror" doesn't count), it requires that they be fighting on behalf of the foreign power on the other side of the war, and it requires that they be released when the war ends. It also requires that captured enemy combatants be treated humanely, not be interrogated or tortured, and that a mechanism be in place for challenging their status as combatants. While there is an ongoing war of sorts in Afghanistan, most to all of the people imprisoned in Guantanamo were not fighting for whatever passes for its government; they're civilians being held on suspicion of criminal activity. Obama has stated his intention to end the war in Afghanistan but has not stated any intention to close Guantanamo and release the supposed prisoners of war when he does. No challenge process exists for Guantanamo prisoners (in fact, there's essentially no oversight at all) and torture is commonly practiced there. |
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