Powell: Close Gitmo and Restore Habeas Now!

[Vyan]

This morning on Meet the Press former Secretary of State Colin Powell strongly denounced America's use of Guantanemo Bay to detain terrorist suspects as well as the Military Commission system which so far, has completely failed to implement justice for even a single detainee.

a major problem for America’s perception. Iif it was up to me, I would close Guantanamo — not tomorrow, this afternoon.

But it's not like he would simply let them go....

I would simply move them to the United States and put them into our federal legal system.

Preempting the argument that this might give some of them "access to lawyers" and "habeas corpus".

So what? Let them. Isn’t that what our system’s all about? And oh, by the way, we have over 2 Million people in our jails who all had access to lawyers and habeas corpus - we know how to handle bad people in this country.

Then he truly hit the nail on the head when it comes to why some in our government continue to insist on the need for Gitmo.

very morning I pick up a paper and some authoritarian figure, some person somewhere, is using Guantanamo to hide their own misdeeds,

That's right kiddies, we've been hiding these people in Gitmo not because of what they've done - but because of what we've done to them in our efforts to gain information using illegal methods. The entire Military Commissions Act was designed to protect and hide the use of coercive interrogation techniques, to allow for the use of that coereced evidence and even stripped away the 5th amendment protection against self-incrimination. As Jonathan Turley has pointed out...

It's only through Habeas, that you have access to all your other rights.

By striping Habeas from "alien unlawful enemy combatants" the MCA attempted to block access to all of their rights, because without that one - none of the others can even be addressed. This strategy was the perfect follow-on to the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 which claimed to prohibit torture, yet at the same time blocked the ability of detainees to bring mistreatment claims before a court in their own defense. So sure, "we don't torture" - but if we did, there's nothing anyone can do about it is there?

Exactly why some people seem enamoured with this Jack Bauer bullshit is beyond me. It doesn't even work in fantasyland. Last night I saw a 24 rerun, where they captured CTU techinician Gial after he had been helping the Salazar Cartel as Jack broke it's leader out of prison. Ryan Chappele ordered chemical torture techniques to be used on him and guess what... he didn't break. Not until Tony Almeada showed up and let them know he, Gial and Jack had been setting up and undercover sting operation on the Salazars.

Oops.

And now we've taken this cowardly macho bullcrap and implemented it internationally. U.S. CIA operatives are being tried for kidnapping in Italy. Many of our own NATO allies are furious with us over our Secret Prisons.

We don't need to do this, we never did - just as Powell summarized.

e have shaken the belief that the world had in America’s justice system by keeping a place like Guantanamo open… We don’t need it, and it’s causing us far more damage than any good we get for it.

Amen to that.

It's feuling the international Jihad, it's fueling the insurgency. It's part of the perpetual insurgency engine. It's long past time we switched that engine off.

Vyan

[bahrbearian]

1. Is Powell ready to make reparations?

[The Count]

2. Colon Bowel? The UN vial Bowell?

Imagine that!

[koopie57]

3. Mostly I'm glad he is speaking out

but my stomach does grow tight with anger when I think how much could have been saved had he done so earlier.

How many people have been made to look foolish and stupid by "serving at the pleasure of the president". How how in the world did * talk these people into actually saying that.

[Supersedeas]

26. not to many others are willing to go on MTP to say that

[DeepModem Mom]

4. K&R

[acmavm]

5. I don't give a damn about anything this guy says, or anything he says

he would do.

It all comes down to what he's DONE. And that will not be forgiven or forgotten. Maybe the voices of the innocent dead are crowding his dreams at night. Nah, on second thought, I don't think so. For that to happen there would have to be a conscience involved.

[Bluerthanblue]

8. what would you do with him then? are

you saying that any republic who sees the light- who has either been stupid enough to BELIEVE the crap that has been set before them, or to lazy or apathetic to even try and find out the truth are not welcome in your 'circle'???

i for one, am pretty glad my brother who i stopped having any contact with after 911 due to his raging patriotism, and my own immovable position against violence as any kind of answer have come to a place where he admits he made some terrible mistakes, and mis-judgements.

i was furious at powells actions at the UN which paved the way for * to get just what he wanted- i still wonder what leverage might have been used upon him to cause him to do such a terrible thing- but i am glad that he is speaking up NOW- even if it is far too late, at least he is speaking out-

If we aren't willing to at least give people notice for making more responsible choices now and in the future, what do you suppose we do with them??? should they be executed?- caged?- abandoned?- what kind of future does that offer us????

Do we have to like people in order to stand in agreement on an issue with them? i sure as hell hope not-


blu

[acmavm]

11. Surely you're not trying to say that there is an ounce of credibility OR

honesty in this man? After the his disgraceful and dishonest and obscene performance at the U.N.?

You do know that he was personally involved in the attempted cover-up of the My Lai massacre, don't you?

What would I do with the man? Any of them that lied to this nation to get us into this war should be held for trial. Until he can be arrested, and I pray that someday he will be, he needs to shut up and wait. Because he is a vile nasty specimen, just like Tenet. Two outsiders who wanted to play with the 'big boys' who were used and thrown on the trash heap when the neos were done with 'em. The only reason either one of them are 'speaking out' is because they've been shown to be collaborators with a traitorous bunch of thugs. And their pride hurts because they were so expendable.

Anyone, everyone, who actively collaborated with the neocons to get us into this mess should eventually end up on trial for war crimes. And crocodile tears from those who have been thrown out of the 'pack' need to be ignored.

[Bluerthanblue]

16. in spite of everything he

has and perhaps will do that is wrong- you are being pretty foolish to say he should "shut up" if what he is saying in terms of Gitmo- goes.

I don't believe he was someone who wanted to "play with the big boys"- i think there was more to this situation than i know- and that he sold out for some reason- it isn't excusable, nor do i advocate just letting by-gones be by-gones, but to silence a voice that is speaking truth (even if this is a fluke) because of the garbage he has championed is utter stupidity, in my opinion.

No, i don't like Powell- and YES- i am very aware of his exploits- but people are complicated creatures, and sometimes even people we might not "want" to be standing in agreement with, come and stand with us-

If you (as i read you) mean to say:"get-out!!! I don't care if you are speaking sense right now, just shut up- and go away- or sit mute till we crucify you!!" - i can't agree with, or support you in this response. And i suggest that you might want to think long and hard about the concequences that this kind of spite, will bring, not only for you, but for everyone who desires to get out of Iraq, and close down Gitmo-


peace,
blu

i don't think powell is crying crocodile tears- i don't believe he supported Gitmo- from the get-go.

[acmavm]

25. You think I'm being foolish and stupid. I think you're one of those

who don't like to face reality. Powell's a manipulator and a liar.

Don't bother answering, I'm not interested.

[AlinPA]

6. He is right about this, but he is still a phony liar. He followed Rove's orders to the T.

[Vickers]

7. That's pretty forceful, coming from a private citizen and all.

:sarcasm:

[WCGreen]

9. I give this a fifth recommendation because Powell, as a man

who should have resigned back in 2003 when Bush was at 70% approval rating, is now, at least willing to speak out against the most egregious attack on the American Ideal ever perpetrated by a president of the United States...

None of the other Co-Conspirators have the heft that Powell still enjoys with the public at large...

[Fridays Child]

12. Powell needs to appear before Congress and tell EVERYTHING he knows.

It will take acts like that to stop this train wreck.

[central scrutinizer]

10. way too little, and way, way, too fucking late

Colin Powell has always been a tool of the rightwing - no lie is too vile that he won't repeat it.

[Joey Liberal]

13. Powell was silent when it really counted

Damn shame.

[Flabbergasted]

14. KR

[ProudDad]

15. Slightly refreshing;

but a dollar short and a day late.

Powell is the worst of the co-conspirators. He absolutely knew he was lying and still he did the work to involve this country in an illegal occupation.

That's the kind of guy he's always been; an authoritarian follower and ass-kisser of the first order.

Remember, he was the guy who cleaned up after Mei-Lei in Vietnam. He has a long "distinguished" history of doing the "man's" dirty work for him...

He has YET to earn my respect on any level.

[madrchsod]

17. clinton and fitzgerald did`t have to resort to gitmo

they used the federal courts to throw the first bunch of twin tower bombers in prison...

[BornagainDUer]

18. What is it with these neocon's who suddenly see the light???

There is something truly pathetic if not pathological about all of this.
It is simply impossible that this Bushie did not see what the Bushes are all about.

[whistle]

19. Colin Powell must come forward and tell the truth about Bush and Cheney

...and the rest of that evil cabal, even if it means exposing himself....damn!

[libodem]

20. I wish he didn't have to be a Republican.

What is it about that Party that wants to own people. I am gut sick about Politics in Government. And Private Corporate Interests. Big Money, seems to have trumped, Morality, Decency, Objectivity, Representation in Congress, In Behalf of What the People want. Maybe we just need a vote by Popular Demand, and see if Nationwide we have 67%? Make it a write in campaign. Registration, is receipt of the ballot at your address, and vote. Postage paid. A post card with a scratch off or a sticker. We vote. We Win. The Iraq War will BE declared a VICTORY. A victory because our Boys are coming Home. Give those 14 Iraq bases we built with the Restoration Money to Big OIl. After All they Get the Oil. Give that giant, Embassy to Halliburton. It will take their whole staff just to clean it. Let's get out now.

[Raksha]

21. I'm happy to hear Colin Powell is using what little is left

of the shredded remnants of his credibility to address these issues. I guess he figures he has nothing to lose now by telling the truth (better late than never).

[eridani]

22. NOW he tells us!

Whythehell couldn't he have spoken up when his opinion might have made a difference?

[GeorgeGist]

23. Powell is a disgrace...

to the human race.

[Time for change]

24. Well, this really really really needs to be said

So I give Powell credit for saying it and thank him for it.

He didn't quite have the courage to speak up about what needed to be said when he was still in the Bush administration, and in fact he did great damage to our country by letting himself be used in the way that he did. But still he deserves credit for speaking up now.