Obama to resume Guantanamo trials

[The Scotsman]

US President Barack Obama is to resume controversial military trials for Guantanamo Bay detainees. Skip related content

The White House confirmed that the Bush-era system - which was suspended by Mr Obama within days of taking office - would be revived for some inmates.

New legal protections will be introduced, but campaign groups dismissed this as merely "tinkering" with a "discredited" and "unfair" system.

A halt to the war crimes trials was ordered on January 21 for a review of the process. It affected 13 detainees already in the tribunal system including five men charged over the September 11 attacks.

These trials will remain suspended for a further four months while the administration brings in new safeguards.

These include restrictions on hearsay evidence and a ban on all statements obtained through torture. Detainees will also be given more rights over choosing their own lawyers.

Mr Obama said: "These reforms will begin to restore the commissions as a legitimate forum for prosecution, while bringing them in line with the rule of law."

Amnesty International's USA researcher Rob Freer said: "You cannot revamp a system that is, in essence, unfair."

"The US has a functioning civilian criminal justice system that is used to dealing with complex trials. This is the system that the US administration should be using for any Guantanamo detainee it decides to prosecute."

It is the second time within a week that Mr Obama has disappointed liberals. On Wednesday, he announced that he intended to block the court-ordered release of photos showing the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan at the hands of US troops.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090515/twl-obama-to-resume-guantanamo-trials-41f21e0.html

So one minute he's totally against this then all of a sudden he's all for it. The lad's just caving in to the military again as he's got no idea which way to turn at the moment!

The delay would "permit the newly inaugurated president and his administration time to review the military commission process", the document said. The legal process has been widely criticised because the US military acts as jailer, judge and jury, says the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Guantanamo.

I Guess the Lad's figured it all out then?

 

[Andy]

So one minute he's totally against this then all of a sudden he's all for it. The lad's just caving in to the military again as he's got no idea which way to turn at the moment!



I Guess the Lad's figured it all out then?

So there isn't a possibility that it was the best option to begin with, which is why Bush was doing it that way?

 

[BigRob]

So there isn't a possibility that it was the best option to begin with, which is why Bush was doing it that way?

He also has only resumed them for less than 20 of the detainees. The rest, still sitting there with no legal recourse. Why has no one on the left commented on this thread?

 

[Pandora]

Thats because its ok if obama does it, its only an issue if President Bush does it.

 

[GenSeneca]

Why has no one on the left commented on this thread?

Just wait till the talking points come out... you won't be able to keep the parrots out of here.

 

[Andy]

Just wait till the talking points come out... you won't be able to keep the parrots out of here.

Actually I have noticed that once the memo come out from DNC HQ, it's funny how you'll see one thread after another, all with the exact same topic, and with the same "point" being made. I wonder if there are ANY independent thinkers on the left anywhere.