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| Retired general who opened Guantanamo prison says shut it down |
| 2013-12-12 |
| MIAMI (Rooters) - The U.S. general who opened the Guantanamo detention camp said Thursday it was a mistake and should be shut down because "it validates every negative perception of the United States." Such a delayed epiphany, how could I have been so stupid. Why didn't my wife tell me? Somebody, anybody ? "In retrospect, the entire detention and interrogation strategy was wrong," Marine Major General Michael Lehnert wrote in a column published in the Detroit Free Press. Thanks for jotting down your honest thoughts and firing that flare General. Any plans for a book, or public office ? Lehnert, now retired from the military and living in Michigan, was the first commander of the task force that opened the detention camp in January 2002 at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba. Worst case of Global Warming, cabin fever derangement syndrome on record ? He said the United States opened it "because we were legitimately angry and frightened" by the September 11 hijacked plane attacks in 2001 and thought the captives sent there would provide "a treasure trove of information and intelligence." Well, they appeared to be a logical choice. Was there someone who else who should have been consulted ? He quickly became convinced that most of them never should have been sent there because they had little intelligence value and there was insufficient evidence linking them to war crimes, he wrote. Your reports obviously indicated as much.... No ? "We squandered the goodwill of the world after we were attacked by our actions in Guantanamo, both in terms of detention and torture," Lehnert wrote. "Our decision to keep Guantanamo open has helped our enemies because it validates every negative perception of the United States." This is a legitimate STOP READING POINT. Congress is debating an annual defense bill containing language that would give President Champ more flexibility to repatriate or resettle Guantanamo detainees. But the proposal maintains an "unwise and unnecessary ban" on transferring any to the United States, Lehnert said. "Still, this is a step forward toward closing our nation's most notorious prison — a prison that should never have been opened," he wrote. What about all of our other prisons? Should they be closed as well ? The first detainees arrived on January 11, 2002, one week after Lehnert was ordered to build the first 100 cells. The crude chain-link cages known as Camp X-Ray were used for about three and a half months and replaced by a series of more permanent prisons. Might we have a look at General Lehnert's reports to 'higher' back in the 2002-2004 timeframe, as well as any change of command hand-off notes or journals? There must be something, some clue.... The United States has since held 779 men at the facility and 162 remain. Lehnert noted that many had been cleared for transfer by U.S. defense and intelligence agencies but were "stuck by politics." As you may remember General (from you days in the uniform) this type of thing is commonly referred to as 'civilian control of the military.' He said a handful should be transferred to the United States for prosecution or incarceration. He acknowledged the risk that some released detainees could go on to plan attacks against the United States, but said the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law trump that risk. Transferred to Michigan, the Detroit area perhaps, where you can once again keep an eye on them. "It is time that the American people and our politicians accepted a level of risk in the defense of our constitutional values, just as our service men and women have gone into harm's way time after time to defend our Constitution," Lehnert wrote. "If we make a mockery of our values, it calls us to question what we are really fighting for." Stern lecturing and guidance for.....the little people. He added, "It is time to close Guantanamo. Our departure from Afghanistan is a perfect point in history to close the facility." But, but, but have you not heard? We're not leaving. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #3 ...but said the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law trump that risk. Unless we're dealing with Obamacare, or Fast & Furious, or IRS audits of political enemies, or..... |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2013-12-12 19:16 |
| #2 ...and there was insufficient evidence linking them to war crimes Except operating as illegal combatants as defined by the Convention. Silly little things like not wearing proper distinct identification that separates them from civilians and using civilians as cover from a belligerent they engage in combat. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2013-12-12 19:14 |
| #1 After 9/11 the objective was not to get the world to like us. To make a physical place a symbol of political ineffectiveness is misguided and immature. I have no issues with hanging everyone in Gitmo so any day they are alive is a blessing from Allah. |
| Posted by: Airandee 2013-12-12 18:14 |