Posted on 01/21/2009 7:47:30 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
US President Barack Obama's call to suspend trials of "war on terror" suspects at Guantanamo raised hopes worldwide that the prison could be closed soon, but not all welcomed the idea of repatriating ex-inmates.
EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot hailed Obama's request to prosecutors as a step toward shutting the facility, which has been plagued by accusations of torture and become a symbol of US excesses.
"I am delighted that one of the first acts of President Obama has been to turn the page on this sad episode of Guantanamo prison," Barrot said in a statement.
He also stressed that the fight against terrorism," must be a main priority for the United States and Europe... but always with total respect for human rights."
Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos noted that closing Guantanamo was a move "which Spain and Europe have demanded on numerous occasions."
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero added that the Spanish government would give strong support to the new administration. Zapatero had a frosty relationship with George W. Bush after withdrawing Spanish troops from Iraq in March 2004.
While Madrid expressed a willingness to cooperate with Washington on the 250 men still being held at the US naval base on Cuba, Berlin insisted the disputed detention camp was America's problem to clean up.
German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble commented that "creating Guantanamo was a mistake in the first place and any prisoners who had not been charged should be freed.
"America must deal with the consequences... Those who come from countries to which they cannot return due to the human rights situation will just have to remain in the US," he told the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper.
"I see no reason why someone who is supposed to be too dangerous for America should have to be taken in by an EU country.
Switzerland said it was ready to consider granting asylum to detainees to "contribute to resolving the problem of Guantanamo" but that it would need to study the legal and security implications first.
Obama, sworn in as the new US leader on Tuesday, asked judges to suspend current trials even before formally ordering the closure of the prison camp, set up after the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.
Military judges ruled later Wednesday to suspend the trial of five alleged September 11 attack plotters and a Canadian accused of killing a US soldier in Afghanistan for 120 days following the President's request.
The special military tribunals for Guantanamo inmates were established in 2006 by former president George W. Bush's administration to try terror suspects under separate rules from regular civilian or military courts.
The United Nations' special rapporteur on torture, Manfred Nowak, called Obama's decision "very positive."
"The investigation will now determine to what extent these military courts meet international standards in regard to human rights. From my point of view, the answer is clear: they don't," Nowak said.
Human rights group Amnesty International also denounced the special tribunals and called for Guantanamo prisoners to be tried within the US federal justice system.
"The move to suspend military commission trials at Guantanamo is a step in the right direction, but must be promptly cemented into a permanent abandonment of these unfair proceedings," London-based Amnesty said in a statement.
While there was little official comment from governments in the Muslim world, leaders from Islamist political parties in Pakistan called Obama's action a good move and welcomed his pledge to seek a "new way forward" with Muslims.
Pakistan's foreign ministry said only that it was eager to have the five Pakistanis being held in Guantanamo sent home.
In Afghanistan, the office of President Hamid Karzai declined comment but reiterated calls to close the prison.
Around 800 detainees have gone through Guantanamo, including 520 transferred to other countries to be held or released. Sixty have been cleared for release or transfer, but their home countries have been reluctant to take them.
In Paris, lawyer Paul-Albert Iweins, who represents five ex-Guantanamo detainees in France, welcomed Obama's decision.
"I am happy to see that the president of the United States is applying international law and is returning to standards recognised by legal experts all over the world."
How do people like him keep from flunking out of kindergarten?
so the WHOLE world is the EU spokesman and liberal human rights activists. Amazing.
We must break this media monopoly.
Closure? LOL
More like opening the door for a more war.
What was the percentage of scum released that went right
back to terrorism?
Hey, I’m all for releasing the prisoners in guantanimo bay, as long as it’s from 30,000 feet.
Gitmo was a terrible idea. Battlefield executions would have been the ticket.
All this guarantees is that from now on we won't be taking prisoners, if you know what I mean. (Ahh the Law of Unintended Consequences, ain't it a bitch?)
That will become the ticket. BTW the Kansas Gov already said NO WAY will Leavenworth be considered.
What is the current cost of a cheap parachute? 15 minutes of instruction and a swift boot out of a perfectly good airplane.
I am not concerned with the human rights situation in their terrorist countries. Off you go. Enjoy your Sharia.
If our side does not make these surrenders to terrorists an issue to beat the Democrats over the head with every day for months, then we truly deserve to lose. We should have 9/11 victims all over the TV denouncing these moves. They should demand investigations and public hearings on why the Democrats are letting scumbags like KSM off the hook. There should be no let up from us. The Jihadis are going to get a pass, but our warriors who fought for us will be prosecuted by our new Leftist masters. If our side does nothing, then we are pathetic.
The real poetry will be when a group of Guantanamo detainees, files with the Treasury Department that their terror cell is actually a troubled bank and applies for financial bailout.
With a few exceptions, there’s been no less wanted group of Muslimes since the Palistinians.
The West is suicidal.
I see the united GOP is criticizing and fighting this tooth and nail.... and, Oh wait.
The world is breathlessly awaiting the release of hundreds of psychotic murderers? We should have an auction so that the country that wants them most can get them.
If they are so critical of the was America has handled this, perhaps they would agree to hold these peoole in their more refinded and humane countries.
Closing the place is a red herring - the real problem is how to handle the prisoners legally - who would have read them their Miranda rights on the battlefield, how do you take troops out of battle to testify against them, how much can you release in court about how you got information on them? - the questions go on and on, and Obama hasn't a clue to the answer to any of them.....
Oh it’s the PC word “Closure”. How special. The freaking terrorists don’t want closure, they want to behead us. Libtards are too dumb to live, too dumb to govern. The weakness shown by Usurper will be a great comfort and advantage to all terrorists, and will make their job of killing all infidels so much easier and faster! Sweet dreams!
The World would think differently if we released these gentle souls on there shores.
The World would think differently if we released these gentle souls on there shores.
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