The US president has signed an order to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp within one year and a 
review of the military tribunals set up by the Bush administration to try detainees.
Surrounded by many retired military officers in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Obama also signed an order ending the harsh interrogation of prisoners held by the US and the closure of any secret prisons run by the CIA.
Obama said the signing of the order showed "we are willing to observe core standards, not just when its easy, but when its hard."
"The message that we are sending around the world is that the United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism," Obama said.
"We are going to do so vigilantly; we are going to do so effectively; and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals."
It seem that Mr Barack Obama fulfill one of his promises during his presidential election canpaign.The US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has ordered his staff to prepare a plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention centre since the end of december last year. He request his team to work for it, so that he can be prepared to assist the President Obama should he wish to address this very early in his tenure. Obama has declared that closing Guantanamo is a priority in his campaign.
The previousl president, reject the sound advice by members of Congress, by the the American public who goes on the streets as well as by heads of friendly governments; that the Guantánamo Bay detention camp has profoundly damaged The US credibility as a champion of justice and human rights as well as their own laws.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Obama orders Guantanamo closure on his second day in office
Posted by ipv6 at 4:41:00 AM
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10 comments:
As salam aleykoum
it is one of his promises that marked me while his campaign and i was so impatient about this guantanamo issue !!
and really this jail is a shame for USA
but what will happen to those prisoners most of them are innocent just the wrong guy at the wrong time and they've been caught , once liberated what will happen of them ?what are the after-effect, the consequences on their mental health?
Wsalam.
First this will not be easy. They will look after the US interests first. Maybe they will release some detainee, but the rest will still be prosecute under US court.. So justice is still far to be done for this detainee.But wthe good things is the closure mean all prisoners at Guantanamo will be held in a manner consistent with the Geneva Conventions.
This mean no more physical abuse and inhumane methods of investigating associate with Guantanamo such as waterboarding (which simulates the sensation of drowning).
What is interesting is, once they bring the suspect terror into the US, it implicate a serious ramifications justice/rights of detainee. The detainee will now have every rights of any citizents of the US. Hence the America must provide them with the rights and charge then in ordinary federal courts. This is the reason why the US build the prison in Guantanamo in the first place, to ovoid and deny their rights.
There still long ways for them to fight for justice.
Regarding their mental health, well nothing much they can do except to keept to themself just like the ex-US marine serve in Iraq. But they can always sue the US government for unlawful detainee, abuse and ask for compensations.
I was just going to write about this! I wouldn't get over excited brother, yeah he did order it but Allahu 'Alem what can happen within this next year. There is already opposition to his stance and they are simply going to transfer the brothers to the other 'secret' jail camps across the world! Unfortunatelly I have to remain a pessimist about this!
"the Guantánamo Bay detention camp has profoundly damaged The US credibility as a champion of justice and human rights as well as their own laws."
Excellent point!!
coffee catholic - the us law and justice system was challenged long before Guantanamo...it's just that this issue became overly gruesome that it just had to be condemned by the world if they wanted to be conssidered any type of "human beings".
No am not over excited. I'm somehow state in in my preply that they will look after the US interests first. You know what that mean right darling?
Ok regarding your concern about the opposition, It's a bit unfounded looking at the currents situation. I know there's quaters who's opposed the idea of closing the Guantanamo since the election days.And I know they will do their best to pretect and save their ass. Some of their arguments and reasoning is however valid from american perspective 'cause this actions will eventually endup with complicated the legal tussle and possibly implicate many people involved if not "handle with care". The power of the US president is clear defined in US constitutions. What concern me the most is before he sign the paper, there's a lot of lobby going on from a few powerful body that tries as their might to weight down anything that hurt their business(war industries), or thier personal political agenda, aldo this mean denies the rights/good things to the american or the world. But when the president give the order it binding, hell he can even lunch the nuclear missile if he convince and gave the order.This is what I understand from Cuban Missile Crisis and the nuke submarine incident before, I am not aware of any changes so far.
Therefore they won't be transfering any detainee to any undisclosed secrets prison around the world, least not anymore, especially when their president state it clearly about the closure of any so call secret prisons run by the CIA. It not so secret really, as the information leak from secret service alredy in public domain quite long time alredy. The unrecorded CIA flights pattern cris crossing the Europe continent wasn't invisible from civilian radar in many European countries for sure. It has been an open secrets and to some extend a disgust among the secret service and security adviser of those nation's involved.
Again me not over excited but I'm please by this developments as it mean they can fight for their justice. But as I put it previously, the journey is still far for them.
Either the trial will be fair or merely a kangaroo court is remain to be seem.
I am not sure if I get you right in your last post. Guatanamoa detainee was never trial in US court but instead a cour setup by the US army, defend by US army, judge by the same army. These men have never been given the right to a day in court. There are non-combattant, hence should be granted acces to court of law.
The Guantanamo detainee has been trial under military commissions
(setup under the Military Commissions Act of 2006. This controversial bill allows the President to designate certain people with the status of unlawful enemy combatants). So the bill was intended to legalise or rather make a room to trial this detainee outside the US court.But because of their status as civilian they cannot put under trial under militart courts hence they coin anew terms of unlawful enemy combatants. In this trial they have fewer civil rights than in regular trial.
salam..
its a good start showing from new US president. but refer to the US ulama (i'm not sure his name), we (muslim) don't fully hope for any US president because who ever hold the title US president)they are not give any benefit to us or muslim community.
wallahualam..
Well as for me, I would rather rate it as a moderate. The US is a big and powerful economic as well as their military might, hence whatever move will definitely going to effect the whole world. On the whole, we can not ignore nor that we should be little of him.
If only the US cleric, understand the US politics well, he would't making such statements. Therefore we sould bark on hope and expectations and desire to make it happen by doing our parts, no matter how small it might be. It's absolutely better than grouch and utter hates yet doing nothing tangible pluss some prayer of course.
Islam teach us to works for our sustenance and not merely sit-down and pray (off course we must also pray for it).
Hope against hope, the whole nine yards!
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