U.S. to give detainees a chance to go home (Guantanamo)

[Judi Lynn]

U.S. to give detainees a chance to go home

May 19, 2004

FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES

WASHINGTON -- Detainees held at Guantanamo Bay will get a chance, once a year, to make their case for release to a review panel under plans the Pentagon announced Tuesday.

The reviews are expected to begin in the next few weeks.

The goal of the reviews, which Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld first announced in February, is to allow some of the prisoners to go home or be put in the custody of their home country if there is no compelling reason for the U.S. military to hold them, officials said.

A senior defense official discussed the reviews Tuesday at a special briefing. The official was made available to reporters on the condition that he not be identified by name.
(snip/...)

http://www.freep.com/news/nw/gitmo19_20040519.htm

[TXDemGal]

1. The goal of the "reviews" (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

is to attempt to lessen some of the infernal heat the Bush regime has been feeling since the torture at Abu Ghraib prison came so vividly to light with the Sy Hersh exposés in the NEW YORKER and the release of pictorial evidence.

Note how the linked article claims Rummy announced this policy in February, but of course it's just now being revealed. Pardon me if I'm not exactly convinced that this is a sincere, legitimate attempt by BushCo to bring justice to the Gitmo prisoners.

[izzie]

2. Is this a flip/flop?

It is fun to wake up and see what the over-night polls have told Bush and Co what to do for the day. This man has no shame.Right now he will run to wards the Dem party just as he did last time but once in became some sort of a give away to the rich guy President.

[struggle4progress]

11. No. This is bullsh*t masquerading as reform.

Whoop-de-doo! An annual review! The Administration is already on record saying that if it held trials for the detainees, it wouldn't be required to release any who were acquitted. So what's an annual review going to accomplish?

[thebigidea]

3. JEEZ! What a presumptuous prick he is - signing Baghdad...

like Bush did the flag...

[pinniped]

4. Why don't you people "prove" what they allegedly did?

rummy the dummy is a kidnapper.

Didn't they kidnap some people for immigration violations?

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. The "reviews" will determine if the detainees can say anything nasty

.
.
.

about the US

so

hope noone believes that a review done by the US will be "fair"

I betcha none of the Gitmo detainees are fooled

Most are probably doomed to stay there until they die, or until the US can "prove" something against them.

Curious question -

Have any of the Gitmo detainees in the last few years been officially charged and convicted of anything?

ever? :shrug:

[hang a left]

7. I seem to remember a few months back that they were gonna

charge and have trials of a few men. Haven't heard a peep since. This was right around the time of the Lee charges as well.

[styersc]

6. The Bush Administration has announced that once a year-

each prisoner will be allowed to don a pair of ruby slippers, click the heels together and recite- "There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home".

If this method should fail to transport the detainee back to their home, the subject will be returned to a cell with an electric cattle prod up his ass.

[BiggJawn]

8. They also have to have the price of airfare on them to be released...

And no, the King of Gitmo don't accept no cigarettes.

Oh, cute, Rumsferatu "Signs his name on Baghdad"...did he go to the 4 corners of the city and squeeze out a little piss to "mark" his territory, too?

[FormerOstrich]

9. wtf...

The official was made available to reporters on the condition that he not be identified by name.

What sort of bullshit is this? Why bother? What if they did reveal the name? Damn idiots, anyway.

:wtf:

[markses]

10. There is no juridical authority to hold one of them for one minute

much less "one more year."

Either charge them with conspiracy or RICO in Federal Court or release them. The king doesn't get to dole out lettres de cachet anymore.

[goforit]

12. Ahhhhh....isn't that sweet. Motivation for good behavior?

Whatever you say.