Guantanamo Bay

[jake]

If you buy the official statistics for how many of those released have gone on to 'reoffend', it's only about 4% of the total. There were some people held there who we accepted were innocent, but if were repatriated (to China in this case) would face persecution from the authorities there, so essentially were kept incarcerated because there was nowhere else for them to go. It's cases like that which irk a lot of people, I think.

[Jumpstart]

Thanks for all the replies. It sounds like I pretty much had the gist of it, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.

I am a little confused about us having and using property in Cuba though. What kind of message does that send that we can't trade with them, but we like them enough store our trash at their house.

Guantanamo IS OUR house. Better store our garbage there than in the heartland of America.

[Irving]

I think if Cuba opened a prison any where on the mainland in the US, you wouldn't just shrug your shoulders and say, "Oh well, that's CUBA's house."

[Jumpstart]

I think if Cuba opened a prison any where on the mainland in the US, you wouldn't just shrug your shoulders and say, "Oh well, that's CUBA's house."

If your aunt had balls she'd be your uncle.

[Irving]

Exactly.

[Hoosier]

I, on the other hand, see it as en effective way to segregate these potentially dangerous individuals from the US mainland

See this I just don't agree with. These people are no worse than the ones already in ADX Florence. There's no reason they couldn't safely be brought here. They aren't super human. Their terrorist buddies would have a much better chance getting into cuba, and assualting that hastily made prison than they would getting into the US. The Senate acted shamefully with that "Not In My Backyard" crap. No they didn't put them in Cuba to protect us from them. They put them there to prevent our laws from applying.

[newracer]

See this I just don't agree with. These people are no worse than the ones already in ADX Florence. There's no reason they couldn't safely be brought here. They aren't super human. Their terrorist buddies would have a much better chance getting into cuba, and assualting that hastily made prison than they would getting into the US. The Senate acted shamefully with that "Not In My Backyard" crap. No they didn't put them in Cuba to protect us from them. They put them there to prevent our laws from applying.

No way. Guantanamo Bay is secured by a military force. Any prison in the US would be easier to get into. And getting into the US isn't very hard either.

Even if they were here our laws shouldn't apply. They were captured in other countries and are not US citizens.

[Ranger353]

See this I just don't agree with. These people are no worse than the ones already in ADX Florence. There's no reason they couldn't safely be brought here. They aren't super human. Their terrorist buddies would have a much better chance getting into cuba, and assualting that hastily made prison than they would getting into the US. The Senate acted shamefully with that "Not In My Backyard" crap. No they didn't put them in Cuba to protect us from them. They put them there to prevent our laws from applying.

I agree that they are no worse a threat while incarcerated then the trash in Florence, but if they are brought into the U.S. they will have rights and an expectation of due process and that's wrong. They are enemy combatants, soldiers without a country that in wartime are not considered criminals but ENEMY SOLDIERS, they don't get the luxury of protection from the constitution, they are not in the U.S.

As for the security of GITMO, remember that GITMO is an active U.S. Naval Station with a battalion (-) of U.S. Marines stationed there that protect the base from intruders both from the water and along 12 miles of fence line. Our Marines walk there posts shadowing armed Cuban soldiers. Is Cuba a threat to the U.S.? No, not really, but they are a real threat to GITMO.

[Irving]

How many people are even in GITMO? Of all the ways this country wastes money and lists it under something else in the books, you'd think we'd be able to keep something like GITMO under the wraps. Perhaps all the extra terrestrial BS about Area 51 is a clever ruse to keep all the pussies in the dark about a super max prison where we can torture people just for fun. That sounds more realistic anyway.

Yes, I know what I just said is stupid. Don't take it too seriously.

[Troublco]

UNLAWFUL ENEMY COMBATANTS. That's what the trash in Guantanamo are. I believe I've already vented my spleen on this one, but what they should be getting is NOT a civilian trial where they all get open forum to bash us even more. They did what they did, and they admit it, and we should grace them with a bullet and call it a day. You know, I'd personally send a check to the DoD to cover the cost of the ammo to do it. This whole farce would never have happened if all the apologetic socialist whiners hadn't been listened to. The GITMO contents should have been interrogated, faced a military tribunal, and then been executed. Period. Half-plus of the world hates us because we are who we are, and nothing's going to change that. Being a bunch of whiney, tail-tucking apologists isn't going to get us anything but more of what we've already gotten. Part of the Marine Hymn talks of the Shores of Tripoli. That was back when we dealt with the Barbary Pirates. (Marines can be a boastful, arrogant bunch sometimes but they know how to kick a$$ and take names! Gotta hand it to them for that. When it absolutely, positively has to be destroyed overnight!!) I'd wager that if Jefferson was President today and he was dealing with the Somali Pirates, the gloves would have been off by now. Not that this is what you're saying, Sturtle, but I'm tired of all the people who have forgotten 9/11! Getting rid of Saddam was a public service. Same with the Taliban. It makes the world a better place, for us as well as everyone else. The only thing that the Taliban, the insurgents, Al Qaeda, and all their associated ilk understand is absolute, overwhelming force used directly on them until they cease to exist. If they're so excited about going to see Allah, I vote with Schwartzkopf. We shouldn't judge them, we should arrange the meeting! Expeditiously!