Posted on 05/15/2009 1:19:09 AM PDT by Schnucki
President Barack Obama has given permission for military trials to restart at Guantanamo Bay in an announcement that effectively repudiated one of his first decisions in office.
The White House attempted to forestall criticism from President Obama's liberal supporters by promising improved legal safeguards.
President Obama stopped military commissions, which were trying suspects in the September 11, 2001 attacks on America by al-Qaeda as soon as he took over from George W Bush. President Obama ordered a review of the procedures, declaring the system did not work. But he was careful not to rule out the use of a modified tribunal system in future.
The new legal framework, which will try the most prominent Al-Qaeda suspects now at the Guantanamo Bay war on terror camp in Cuba, would include restrictions on the use of hearsay evidence against detainees. The revisions would also reportedly ban evidence obtained through coercion, such as waterboarding and other enhanced CIA interrogation techniques.
Five detainees have been charged with playing a role in the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, including the plot's self-proclaimed mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
Republicans condemned the order to close Guantanamo Bay by late January next year, and Democrats have rejected a White House funding request to shutter the prison. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham applauded the decision to revamp the tribunals as a step toward strengthening policies that have been derided worldwide.
"I continue to believe it is in our own national security interests to separate ourselves from the past problems of Guantanamo," said Sen Graham. "I agree with the president and our military commanders that now is the time to start over and strengthen our detention policies. I applaud the president's actions today."
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
“The new legal framework, which will try the most prominent Al-Qaeda suspects now at the Guantanamo Bay war on terror camp in Cuba, would include restrictions on the use of hearsay evidence against detainees. The revisions would also reportedly ban evidence obtained through coercion, such as waterboarding and other enhanced CIA interrogation techniques.”
This is rigged for acquittals, making this nothing but show. We might as well send them back to the battle field where they can be killed..
so basically obama is going forward with bush’s policy?
LOLOLOLOLOL
Maybe it's starting to sink in that there are valid and logical reasons why the simplistic liberal assumptions that lead to so much handwringing by the rest of us violate rational thought processes. He does appear to be starting to see that some of Bush's foreign policies are the right ones to have at the current time, that campaign rhetoric to get elected may have been based on false conclusions and a failure to see the results if implemented.
My opinions of him are improving. You've got to give him credit for being willing to suffer the humiliation he's getting for reversing his positions on some of these key issues.
Now if he had a semblance of understanding of economics such that he could foresee the ramifications of his 'ready, fire, aim' approach in that arena, he might start to get passing grades in some of those areas. His recent conclusions that our national debt is unsustainable at the current level - much less the increased levels caused by some of his recent actions - may raise his economics 101 grade to an F+, but he's got a way to go to move it to a D or higher.
Pffft....Go ahead
You don't waterboard someone for they did, but what is going to....
That pretty much makes this statement useless regarding the the charges against the detainees....
It'd take a lot more than a handful of moderate gestures to get anything close to a positive opinion of this blatent fascist/socialist. He's destroying the economy. A few modest gyrations to the center can't undo trillions of dollars of debt that he's taken on in an effort to destroy our country financially.
Well well well.....
Well, it's necessary to understand what's in those weeds to be able to effectively lead.
And I said my perception of him is improving. I never said it was acceptable.
I'm starting to get just a very faint glimmer of hope.
But the pressure needs to stay on him.
Also only some are to be tried under these tribunals. I would venture to guess the rest will be tried in US courts then freed with welfare benefits or not tried at all.
Listen to Holder tap dancing about the uighurs.
What asses these people are. No hope of an apology to to the Bush Administration, is there?
One possibility is that the military trials will be expedited and those convicted will need the opportunity to appeal the decisions, requiring an extension of the timetable for closure indefinitely. Those found to be not guilty may even be released into the states anonymously, maybe a witsec program, to protect them from being targeted, under the excuse that they are innocent and as such the public has no business knowing about them - since they're 'innocent'.
We'll see.
One possibility is that the military trials will be expedited and those convicted will need the opportunity to appeal the decisions, requiring an extension of the timetable for closure indefinitely. Those found to be not guilty may even be released into the states anonymously, maybe a witsec program, to protect them from being targeted, under the excuse that they are innocent and as such the public has no business knowing about them - since they're 'innocent'.
We'll see.
Nice way of saying that obamma lamma and his minions are full of crap.
So how’s things in the United Kingdom?
Where ya at?
More than just the campaign. The Dems have been crying about this since the 2006 campaign season.
Hey look! Swine Flu!
LLS
It could be that these restrictions were strategically picked to offer the least amount of interference with the prosecution, while appearing to be significant to his loony base. Again, he gets to have both worlds...a recurring theme with this guy. Hey, if they get convicted, then by golly they were really guilty, and we did it while keeping our principles damm it!
He solves two problems at once, and gets a Pulitzer to boot.
LLS
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