| Submit your comments on this article |
| Britain |
| Clarke to decide the fate of released Gitmo suspects |
| 2005-01-26 |
| Charles Clarke will attempt to resolve the crisis surrounding controversial anti-terrorist laws today when he sets out the fate of foreign terror suspects detained without trial. The home secretary will tell the Commons how the government intends to deal with detainees, after the law lords ruled before Christmas that their incarceration was unlawful under the European convention on human rights. The final details of the plans were still being discussed by the cabinet last night but a statement to parliament was scheduled for lunchtime today. There was speculation that the government would be forced to release at least some of the 11, most of whom are held in Belmarsh prison in London. But civil rights groups warned the government against any attempt to place the suspects, in effect, under house arrest. There were fears ministers could introduce orders placing restrictions on the detainees' behaviour. This would mean keeping tight control over them while not actually confining them in prison. There was even speculation the government might try to challenge its obligations under European law. Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, the civil liberties group, said: "I'm delighted that the new home secretary is finally responding to the House of Lords' damning verdict on detention without trial. I hope, however, that he will honour the spirit as well as the letter of this judgment and fully comply with human rights values in any new anti-terror measures." Mr Clarke has signalled that he wants to secure deals with north African countries to enable some of the suspects to be deported without the risk of being tortured or sentenced to death in their homelands. The development came as the last four British detainees to return from Guantänamo Bay were being questioned last night by detectives at a central London police station. Moazzam Begg, Feroz Abbasi, Martin Mubanga and Richard Belmar were arrested as they arrived back in Britain yesterday after almost three years in custody at the US base in Cuba. The men are now expected to sue the US government for compensation. Shortly after the RAF aircraft carrying them touched down, they were taken to Paddington Green for questioning. Their return prompted fresh calls for the government to rethink its anti-terror legislation. Edward Nally, president of the Law Society, said ministers ought now to "pause for thought". The decision to arrest the men was taken in spite of protests from Muslim leaders and a plea from their lawyers not to detain them. The US suspects the four, who were captured three years ago during the war in Afghanistan, of links with the al-Qaeda terrorist organisation. Their lawyers say they did nothing wrong. The men's families are expecting to see them today. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #3 Face it the people and leaders of the EU are at war with us in every way on every day. Don't believe me go look at the forums at FT.COM or its spinoff http://www.serioustopics.com. These are "finance movers" in the EU and it's not pretty. I await the day the Boeing Company has a private bombing run on a certain bus factory in the southern Euarabian state of France. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2005-01-26 12:31:59 PM |
| #2 The men are now expected to sue the US government for compensation. Someone please show these asshats the middle finger whan they do file suit. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-01-26 11:45:59 AM |
| #1 I am sorry. The UK doesn't appear to get it. What I read leads me to believe that all to many of the folk in the UK think these clowns were on wild flower picking trips and that these detainees are just misunderstood good boys. That anyone in authority in the UK government can't bitch slap these lawyer society commies is beyond me. The Law Lords need to have a sharp tug to remind them that people die from terrorism. There are times to be civil and there are time to be uncivil. (The LLL have never been civil when it counts.) This is one of those times where being uncivil is in order. Lay down some smack on these stupid terrorist loving turds. Drive these bastards out to a military airport in secret. Put them on a plane for their home countries and be done with it. What is anyone going to do? Oh they will take you to court? BFD. If the detainees are gone what the heck can they do? Nothing thats what. Send them back to wherever they came from . IF they are UK citizens keep them off bail and in jail. See if the Law lords feel like going down and getting them out personally. I doubt they are that interested. Sorry for the rant but this whole issue is based on loonie liberal stupidity. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2005-01-26 2:25:17 AM |