Why we should shut down Guantanamo: from Pentagon Official in charge of it.

I searched and did not see this posted anywhere else. I'm surprised it wasn't but the title of the article and other details for search didn't show it.

This comes as a real surprise and this is the full title which space wouldn't really allow.

" Why we should shut down Guantanamo: Prison camp's jailer-in-chief makes jaw-dropping U-turn and says it should never have been built "

Now this isn't just anyone. That is what makes this surprising and from two directions. What he's done for Obama and what he did for Bush. He's served under both and back to the start on the Gitmo issues.

As a senior military lawyer from early 2002 to mid-2003, he designed the Guantanamo ‘military commissions’ – special tribunals set up to try terrorist suspects

This, in addition to his handling Detainee Affairs / Gitmo in the Pentagon for 3 1/2 years. His statements are specific and I find myself in full agreement with this next part.

William Lietzau, America’s Deputy Assistant Defence Secretary for Detainee Affairs, told The Mail on Sunday in an exclusive interview that Guantanamo’s detainees should have been legally designated as prisoners of war and held in Afghanistan, or if charged with crimes, taken to prisons in America.

I also agree with the next part, when it comes right down to it.

Mr Lietzau – who, after three and a half years in his job, last week announced he will be stepping down to take a private sector job in September – added that the best way for President Obama to close Guantanamo would be to announce that the ‘war’ with Al Qaeda is over.

Under international law, this would end any justification for continuing to hold prisoners who had not been charged with crimes.

Source

He has quite a bit more to say and its worth reading, given who the man is and has been in this whole thing. If anyone would have the perspective and right to an opinion, it would seen he'd sure be among the top on the list.

Whatever anyone believes happened that night in Pakistan at the Bin Laden compound, they did declare that the date he died. That, in my opinion, should have also been the day the war was effectively declared over and then, it's the enemy's to restart as we're leaving. This never was sold or accepted to be about making a whole new Middle East and beyond. It was killing one guy. Well, again, whatever the truth, the record shows he died that night. Mission Accomplished and declaring it over now is better late than never.....as there aren't many other choices as the interview also goes into the logic behind.

I have to admit, the logic is hard to argue and it's how Gitmo closes cleanly. Holding criminals or holding POW's is reasonable, I'd say and has been. Holding people in some forever limbo between is against all our nation has stood for in it's entire history. At least that's my take on this and in consideration of this interview.

That's right it should have never been built. A lot of things should be.

So, he serves 3 1/2 years and right before going into the private sector he lets go of what he really thinks. I would be interested what private sector job he got and IF some of this is public relations before starting that new job.

That aside, Gitmo was a bad idea from the word go and I am still surprised they haven't closed it yet. Are they trying to save face in the eyes of the world? I just fill if some countries were treating Americans in the same way, America wouldn't be so happy.

Peace

reply to post by jam321


Well, these are the last and most dangerous there at this point. Cryptome and a couple other sites have been carrying the handbooks and more importantly, copies of directives regarding Gitmo reviews and attempts to process everyone out if possible. As I recall the reviews were made frequent and in-depth. Yet, this group remains. Among them are some that their own nations do NOT want back. Other nations won't just take them as some gift when they aren't their problem to start with.

It's the whole issue at this point of charge them, transfer them to the Afghanistan locations or..figure some way to get them out. Indeed.. Holding them forever? This IS one of the core rights violations that started the rest which followed, I believe. Heck, if Habeas corpus is just suspended indefinitely, we don't have a legal system anymore and it's really true to state that. We have a framework that is used most of the time, but we don't have a legal system, do we?

It started with Bush and Obama has just plowed right along in self-styled and chosen ignorance to the fact that no one defends and insists on the basic rights for these prisoner's personal benefit. I think at this point it really is a matter of rights for all because it's a principle and value ..or rights for some as the average dangerously corrupt nations around the world practice it?