You are a pathetic human being.

We have terrorists currently being held in U.S. prisons, who were tried and convicted during the Bush Administration.

What is so special about these folks in GITMO that they can’t go through the same process? What makes them into super villians?

If you knew a single thing about the U.S. legal system – then you might suddenly know how blindingly ignorant you are.

the daily laugh.

The whole deal (with the fools of the world) is that these people are being imprisoned unfairly without trials, etc. now you’re saying “It’s not like we’re letting them go free or anything – they just won’t be in this one specific place ” So the ONLY change is that the cell will be located ‘somewhere else’ ?
If so, I hope it is in the city where you live, it’ll make you safer, I’m sure. Then I hope they let them out on bail to inhabit your fine neighborhood. After all, they’re gonna live in some American neighborhood, may as well be yours since you are the one calling for it. Good luck on your bid for housing the detainees there.

(First off, no need to apologize – considering the usual treatment I get around here, that was nothing.)

I think I see what you’re saying – but in that case, weren’t both Obama and McCain sending that same message, back when they were promising to do so on the campaign trail? Were Robert Gates, Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Warren Christopher, Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell all sending that same message to the terrorists – since they’ve all called for the closing of Gitmo too?

I guess I just don’t understand the sudden reaction now- we all knew (and/or hoped, at least in my case) that it was coming. It’s not like we’re letting them go free or anything – they just won’t be in this one specific place anymore. Why does that, in and of itself, send such a strong message?

And why is it that the “difficult” decision is keeping Gitmo open (the decision you wanted), and the “easy” decision is closing it (the decision you don’t want)? Wouldn’t the easiest choice just no choice at all – just to do nothing and keep everything the same?

I made no mention of campaign promises. Apparently he is able to make mindless decisions so I will acknowledge his ability to do so.

I said he’s sending a message to the terrorists that he cannot make DIFFICULT decisions. A difficult decision would be to take the time to learn the facts about the terrorists incarcerated at Guantanamo.

A difficult decision might be that Guantanamo is the best and safest place for these people who cannot be tried, they will be freed as has been pointed out many times because the evidence against them cannot be used.

It’s one thing to make campaign promises when you are not getting daily briefings and are not privy to all the facts and another to keep a promise that could be so dangerous to the people and country.

Welcome! Now, see if you can answer me this:

Obama has been stating for months and months that one of his first actions was going to close Gitmo. The American people (if they paid any attention at all to the campaign) knew he was planning on doing this. And he won the election – with everybody knowing he was going to do it. (Of course, McCain said he was going to do the same thing – but that’s somewhat irrelevant here.)

Upon arriving in office, this was one of the first things he did. No one “pushed” him to do it – he had been saying for months that he was going to do it, and then he did it.

So, exactly what part of “keeping a campaign promise” says that he “can be trusted to cave when pushed to make a difficult decision”?

Thanks for the comment. Please feel free to post more of your thoughts. We need to send messages to our leaders when the wander outside what people believe is safe or expected behavior.

AJ, I read your blog daily and I want to thank you for your insight and diligence for detail in your writing.

First, why would anyone want to read anything Salon has to say.
2nd: Do you consider that person to have been mistreated?
Do you consider him to have been mistreated more or less than the 3000 people killed on 9/11?

Poor little bleeding heart lib.

9/11 Families Outraged by Obama Call to Suspend Guantanamo War Crimes Trials
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/21/families-outraged-obama-suspend-guantanamo-war-crimes-trials/

He talks a good game, but he doesn’t walk the walk.

“When we put pressure on al Queda in Pakistan and they go back to Iraq, then what?”

“back to Iraq”? The Al Qaeda group in Pakistan/Afghanistan was never IN Iraq – so it’s impossible for them to go “back”.

“Well who cares, there is no war anyway and we need to love all Muslims.”

From the inauguaration speech:

“We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”

“What’s wrong with Gitmo GUY?”

Well, maybe you should ask John McCain, Robert Gates, Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Warren Christopher, Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell – since they’ve all called for the closing of Gitmo too.

Tell you what, kathie – if you can bear to read through this entire article, then I will debate with you on what’s “wrong” with this prison.

But, do I really need to explain what’s wrong with a system that beats a confession out of a 15 year old, and then holds him in an 8 foot square cell for 6 years, isolated from anyone that even speaks his language, with no chance of even knowing what he is being charged with? Do I need to given a better explanation than the fact that the JAG assigned to prosecute him — “the Bronze-Star-recipient Lt. Col. Darrel Vandeveld, who since 9/11 has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Africa ” — QUIT in disgust over his treatment rather than continue the case?

You all love to accuse me of “loving the terrorists”. Are you going to also declare that a Bronze Star recipient, a Lt. Col. in the army – that *HE* also “loves the terrorists”? Do you need God himself to declare from the heavens that the treatment of these detainees is inhuman before you will allow yourselves to believe it?