“Now some have suggested that this represents a reversal on my part” – Barack Obama.
Those were the words we really didn’t want to hear from Barack’s lips about his pledge to close Guantanamo, but we always feared that hidden in the fine print and the practical details, would be a reversal of sorts.
First, he has decided to revive Bush’s practice of trying terrorism suspects in military commissions. Whatever happened to a fair trial?
Second, he blocked the release of photos showing abuse of detainees. Whatever happened to justice for victims?
Third, “prolonged detention” of terrorism suspects who are deemed a threat to the US, but who cannot be tried, because the evidence is “unusable” having been got under torture. Isn’t this just moving Guantanamo to the mainland?
Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty, right to a fair trial, right to a lawyer?
I have some sympathy with Barack’s position, having to make the real decisions, but am I too harsh in seeing this as a reversal of sorts?
It prompts me to remember to pray for a man with tough decisions to make and that he wont go the way of practically every person I know who has power.
Those were the words we really didn’t want to hear from Barack’s lips about his pledge to close Guantanamo, but we always feared that hidden in the fine print and the practical details, would be a reversal of sorts.
First, he has decided to revive Bush’s practice of trying terrorism suspects in military commissions. Whatever happened to a fair trial?
Second, he blocked the release of photos showing abuse of detainees. Whatever happened to justice for victims?
Third, “prolonged detention” of terrorism suspects who are deemed a threat to the US, but who cannot be tried, because the evidence is “unusable” having been got under torture. Isn’t this just moving Guantanamo to the mainland?
Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty, right to a fair trial, right to a lawyer?
I have some sympathy with Barack’s position, having to make the real decisions, but am I too harsh in seeing this as a reversal of sorts?
It prompts me to remember to pray for a man with tough decisions to make and that he wont go the way of practically every person I know who has power.
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