5 Ex-Secretaries of State: Close Guantanamo Bay camp, open talks with Iran

ap ^ | March 27, 2008 | Associated Press

[Flavius]

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - Five former U.S. secretaries of state are urging the next presidential administration to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and open a dialogue with Iran. Each says closing the facility in Cuba would bolster America's image abroad. Regarding Iran, they say it's important to maintain contact with adversaries and allies alike.

[DoughtyOne]

The former officials are Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Warren Christopher and Madeleine Albright, and worked for Democratic and Republican administrations.

There’s the names of the people I won’t be looking for advice from, from here on out.

Baker, I thought you had more sense than that. Yikes.

[Shady]

All five of them are members in good standing of the dementia wing of the Autocratic Party. Negotiate with Iran. Me things Mahamood subscribes to the delay whilst I enrich enouh gas to deliver my negotiation directly to Tel Aviv.
“The former officials are Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Warren Christopher and Madeleine Albright, and worked for Democratic and Republican administrations.”

[trumandogz]

James Baker and Hank Kissenger.

You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Reagan and Nixon would not be proud.

[daler]

I’m confident McCain would be quite comfortable with 3 of the 5...

[CutePuppy]

Each says closing the facility in Cuba would bolster America's image abroad.

How, why, with whom, for what, seriously?

More likely they will (rightly) take it as an admission of error and guilt, and attacks will intensify on other "fronts". "Ugly is only skin-deep, but stupidity is to the bone"...

[trumandogz]

McCain agrees with all five of them!

[CutePuppy]

Baker, I thought you had more sense than that.

No, you didn't... Remember, in 2006 Baker was one of the main driving forces behind "Iraq Study Group / ISG" Report, which advocated the same thing?

[shove_it]

The article did not mention how many Gitmo detainees each of these five brilliant ex Secs. of State are willing to take into the confines of their own homes for safe keeping.

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Sounds like some major arm twisting and favor call ins to me.

[Cindy]

A Look at Iran:

http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html

[Kakaze]

Each says closing the facility in Cuba would bolster America's image abroad

ah well first I don't care who likes us and who doesn't right now.

Second, if we suddenly opened a carbon market , signed kyoto, raised gas prices to mirror europe ( just to fit in ) , socialized medicine and adopted the old French work week.......they would still hate us.

[CutePuppy]

No, the emphasis is on "the next presidential administration..." which is a fait accompli anyway - McInsane already made his preference clear in favor of closing Gitmo.

So, no risk and all the glory to them when it happens, no matter who will be in the "the next presidential administration". They can't lose.

[SkyPilot]

_{Senator Joseph McCarthy sent this telegram to President Truman two days after claiming that he had identified "205 card-carrying" members of the Communist party working in the U.S. State Department.}

_{A draft of President Harry Truman's unsent 1950 response to Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-WI), who had sent Truman a breathless six-page telegram vowing to bring down the careers of 57 "communist" State Department employees.}

Too bad for the State Dept that the de-classifed Verona cables that emerged from the collapsed Soviet Union proved that the State Dept was infested with Communists - including Alger Hiss.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alger_Hiss

How much should we trust the State Dept?

[GAB-1955]

I would close Guantanamo if it’s giving us bad publicity, but I would not move these people out of detention. I am sure there are places in North Dakota or Alaska that we could put a military detention center.

[carton253]

I’m sorry, you must not know James Baker all that well. LOL!

[Man50D]

I would close Guantanamo if it’s giving us bad publicity, but I would not move these people out of detention. I am sure there are places in North Dakota or Alaska that we could put a military detention center.

These people are the enemy seeking to destroy the U.S. and you're worried about negative publicity based on how we are perceived by other countries?

I can't think of a worse reason to determine the location of an enemy prison than one based on perceived political correctness.

[balch3]

Baker’s think tank at Rice University is chock full of liberals.

[peyton randolph]

I am sure there are places in North Dakota or Alaska that we could put a military detention center.

---

Never.

They'll have ACLU lawyers lined up around the block to represent them and a bunch of Carter/Clinton judicial appointees ready to give them the same rights as U.S. citizens under the Constitution.

If we close Gitmo, the last act should be to either line up these terrorists against a wall for a firing squad or dump them at 30,000 feet on a European country that's been whining about their rights.

[ryan71]

“Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Warren Christopher and Madeleine Albright”

I see Alexander Haig aint in there. Ha!

[Bluebird Singing]

“I would close Guantanamo if it’s giving us bad publicity”

I believe it’s the MSM that’s giving us “bad publicity”, not Guantanamo, where we bend over backwards to treat the prisoners with ultimate respect. The MSM will never be satisfied as long as we keep these “people” prisoners in military detention centers . . . ANYWHERE.

[metesky]

Bringing them onto American soil would open all sorts of avenues for ACLU types to get them tried as criminals and not as enemy combatants.

[shekkian]

Why do you think they're "ex" secretaries of state?

[6SJ7]

ch says closing the facility in Cuba would bolster America's image abroad.

I am so tired of that old saw. Countries hate America out of jealousy. The only way to 'please' them is for our country to be destroyed.

[Spirochete]

Each says closing the facility in Cuba would bolster America's image abroad.

Why is this important?

[Thermalseeker]

Baker, I thought you had more sense than that. Yikes.

There's been a couple of things that Baker has said since the Iraq invasion that has made me question his loyalty to this nation. I don't think age is treating him very well.

[LibLieSlayer]

Reads like what floats to the top of a septic tank.

LLS

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

GoPM to 5 Ex-Secretaries:

FU

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Bad idea.

Once they are on US soil, the ACLU will demand that they be tried in civilian courts, not military. That would be a very bad move. Not only would most of them be sure to be freed (and then guaranteed the socials services needed to settle them), the trials would make the US look like a pig circus.

Aside from that, do you want any of these Islamonazies living in your town or the next town over?

Hell no, keep Guantanamo.
Hell no, keep Guantanamo.
Hell no, keep Guantanamo.

[iopscusa]

How much should we trust the State Dept? As much as we should Trust the UN or any lying Liberal/Rino!

[reagan_fanatic]

I used to think that Baker was a fairly sensible and straight individual.

Not any longer.

[magellan]

Improving America's image abroad, making us feel good, etc., these are not valid reasons to close Guantanamo. If improving our image abroad is a motivation for domestic policy changes, why not institute socialized medicine, raise taxes, give more money to the U.N.?

Nowhere in the Constitution does it mention our image abroad. Nowhere in the oath of office of any elected or appointed official does it mention our image abroad. These oaths do say support and defend the Constitution.

This is about defending America, plain and simple. Perhaps Guantanamo has outlived its usefulness. If so, send the prisoners back to their third world governments for disposal in the prison systems of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries. If it improves our image to send some Saudi jihadist to chop-chop square in Riyadh, I'll support it.

[KosmicKitty]

I’m afraid that no matter who wins this election, the terrorist in Gitmo will be released & our world will be a less safe place. l the candidates seem to want to aid our enemies, just so we’ll “look good” to the rest of the world. (Which will continue to hate us for what we are anyway)

[Doc Savage]

Gee, what a shock! All flaming Pinko Commie Libs!

[Red in Blue PA]

Madeline Albright????

Isn’t she the one who knowlingly let Rwanda run its course? Why is her word good for anything these days?

[yorkie01]

Two of them are naturalized citizens. We ought to be cautious of Obama and Richardson who spent some of their formative years in another culture as well.

[Unicorn]

I like the way you think.

[CPOSharky]

Each says closing the facility in Cuba would bolster America's image abroad.

The American image should be the 900 pound gorilla who is nice to his friends and deadly to his enemies.

[elpadre]

“I am sure there are places in North Dakota or Alaska that we could put a military detention center....”

those terrorists must never set foot on US soil where our legal beagles can get their hands on them.

the very thought of that chills me to the bone.

[elpadre]

other than Syria, Iran, NK and other professed enemies of the US, just what particular countries have a poor image of the US?? and why??

[uncitizen]

I would close Guantanamo if it’s giving us bad publicity

America couldn't get good publicity if we brought John Lennon and George Harrison back from the dead and footed the bill for a free Beatles reunion concert around the world.

[elpadre]

“..... Why is her word good for anything these days?”

because she adamantly opposes the idea that the US is the only “super” power in the world. She has said it and written so.

She supports the EU being made (with US help) into an equal and the rebuilding of Russian power to offset the US.

[Mr. Jazzy]

She also helped cut the deal to give North Korea fissle material to make a nuclear weapon.

[Mustng959]

My thought exactly ... that’s why they are “ex” Secretaries of State.

[Verginius Rufus]

Hiss was a traitor, but he wasn’t in the State Department when Joseph McCarthy made his allegations—he had been found guilty in his perjury trial the month before. From the Wikipedia article it appears that he was never employed by the State Department and had left government service several years earlier.

[McGruff]

Colin Powell = P.O.S. in my eyes.

[DoughtyOne]

Actually, I didn’t remember it. I do appreciate you bringing me back to reality on the subject though. Do these folks even think of the ramifications of their suggestion? It sure doesn’t seem like it.

[DoughtyOne]

The detainees will be brought to a mainland prison where folks can stand outside and parade up in down on their behalf, advocating they be released on humanitarian grounds.

Baker and the rest of these clowns probably think they should get due process so that methods and contacts can be revealed in court too.

[DoughtyOne]

Evidently not. Color me out of it when it comes to this clown.

[DoughtyOne]

Evidently I’m not doing my due diligence when it comes to Baker. Ouch...