The history of the handling of prisoners of war, especially guerrillas and those labeled terrorists or enemies of the state, is a long and sordid one, not pretty in any way. One needs only to consider a huge recent conflict like the Second World War. Take only three of the "great powers" -- Germany, the Soviet Union, and Japan and how they treated prisoners, and one gets the idea. I'm not sure how many really get the scale of it, or the horrors of it.
By comparison, what to do with a few hundred prisoners held by the USA from Afghanistan and the "War on Terror," on the grounds of Gitmo, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base? It would seem easier to determine their fate in a more civilized manner. One way: coax allies to take as many as possible (which the Obama Administration is attempting now, with at least partial success), and then move the rest to federal prisons in other US territory.
I'm hopeful that Americans wouldn't choose the German, Russian or Japanese methods from the 1940s -- shooting or gassing to death, or working to death in labor camps. Or beheading, for that matter. And I doubt, as one wag suggested to me a few days ago, the US government would ever put them on permanent caged exhibit at the planned Bush Library in Dallas. No, we're supposed to be better than all that, at least ideally.
On the other hand, even if the prisoners do go to trial and are convicted, many could end up like Manuel Noriega, former Panamanian dictator, incarcerated in a federal prison in Miami since 1989. Even though Noriega's prison term was technically ended in the fall of 2007, he's still being held there.
As for the history of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, going back to the Spanish-American War of 1898 and later involving the payment of $2,000 per year to Cuba for American retention of this piece of the main island, that's for another post, even if that history is not entirely unrelated to today's situation.
Today's Rune: Fertility.
4 comments:
While I understand that an attorney is not going to feel a sense of worth if they don't make a thousand motions on behalf of their client, in this case they should shut the hell up about the ground rules.
Bring them as indicted felons to this country, try them under the laws of this country and either convict or set them free.
If it is determined that they should go free send them back to the land of their birth as we do with every alien.
And if in their own right they ask for asylum in this nation because they fear the treatment they will receive on arrival grant it to each of them according to the merit of the claim.
This diddling around about tribunals and military courts should never have happened unless the congress of the United States declared war, then there would no longer be a question of status.
If we believe we are a nation of laws then let the courts work.
End the entire embargo against Cuba now!
The problem with "we're better than that," is that humans are humans the world over. I agree with you absolutely. We ought to be better, but only constant vigilance will ensure that that happens.
To comment on Charles' comment, the problem with "constant vigilance" is also that humans & humans & that's not going to happen, either.
Besides, from the sound of it, there's going to be a long battle between Obama & the Senate before anything can happen, anyway. Ah, people...
Noriega's Blowback.
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