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Europe
Europe: Rights watchdog backs release of Guantanamo prisoners
2009-06-10
[ADN Kronos] A European human rights watchdog has called on member states to welcome former detainees from the US prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The Council of Europe also pressed the US to ensure other remaining detainees receive a fair trial for any alleged criminal activities.

Following a visit to Washington D.C. last week, the council's commissioner for human rights, Thomas Hammarberg sent a letter to all council members calling upon them to welcome "cleared" ex-detainees in need of international protection.
Yah, sure, yewbetcha, they're all yours ...
He also pressed the US to offer "cleared" prisoners residence in the country and stressed that "detainees for whom there is evidence of criminal activities should be tried in accordance with international human rights law."

"The others should be released in full respect of the principle of presumption of innocence. Reparation for all those unlawfully detained should also be provided," he said.

Hammarberg is concerned about the fact that "a number of those to be released may not be repatriated because of a real risk of ill-treatment. Some of those released so far have suffered human rights violations in their country of origin."
So their country of origin doesn't want them (except perhaps to torture them to death), and we don't want them, and you obviously don't want them. Hmmm, guess Gitmo isn't so bad after all ...
US lawmakers last week dealt a blow to president Barack Obama's plans to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, denying a request for extra funds and restricting the transfer and release of detainees. The House appropriations subcommittee, tasked with funding the Justice Department and other agencies, rejected a request for 60 million dollars to help the department close the prison on the US naval base in southern Cuba.

It approved a 64.4 billion dollar 2010 funding bill for the agencies under its remit, but attached conditions on releasing any of the remaining 240 Guantanamo inmates. The panel's decision was the latest obstacle to Obama's efforts to close the prison by 22 January 2010.

Other nations have also been reluctant to accept any of the 50 detainees so far cleared for release. An Algerian national has been taken in by France, while an Ethiopian-born British resident was returned to Britain.
Posted by:Fred

#4  "When a few of them don't wake up in the morning, the rest might re-think their liberal stances."

Naaahhhh - they'd just Blame Bush.™
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2009-06-10 20:29  

#3  I'd say these rights activists ought to adopt a gitmo a$$hole. Let the activists live with these thugs and killers for awhile. When a few of them don't wake up in the morning, the rest might re-think their liberal stances.
Posted by: JohnQC   2009-06-10 19:22  

#2  Sure. Cut 'em all loose and tell 'em about the big party at Tommy Hammarberg's house to celebrate their release. He's looking forward to seeing them all there...
Posted by: tu3031   2009-06-10 09:25  

#1  GUAM k57 > seems PALAU'S/BELAU'S PRESIDENT has agreed to formally temporarily accept up to 17 UIGHUR DETAINEES FROM GITMO.

HMMMMMM, HMMMMMM, and the ISLAMIZATION of GUAM-MICRON-WESTPAC begins??? RADICAL ISLAM versus CHINA, RUSSIA, + INDIA for control of increasingly destabilized NUKULAAR MAINLAND ASIA > NOW COMES FUTURE [local = LocoMoco]LOCAL RADICAL ISLAMISM VERSUS CHAMORRO-INDIGENOUS, OTHER ISLANDS-BASED ETHNO-LEGAL RIGHTS???

D *** NG IT, YOU CAN JUST FE-E-E-E-L-L-L SEXY SLINKY PAULA "DELILAH-BATHSHEBA" ABDUL KICKING AND WIPING OUT HER DADDY'S BACKYARD RANCHO PLANTATION AGAIN, CAN'T YE - WHAT IS IT WID THAT KID, 1960's POST-9-11 OWG-NWO AMERIKAN USSA =USR DADS WANNA KNOW!? Is there some law which states that future OWG-NWO Hollywood + Supermodel Babes must prove their worth by wiping out their Daddy's mango trees!
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2009-06-10 00:39  

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