Many at Gitmo innocent - ex Bush official

[David B]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090319/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_guantanamo_wrongly_held

In his posting for The Washington Note blog, Wilkerson wrote that "U.S. leadership became aware of this lack of proper vetting very early on and, thus, of the reality that many of the detainees were innocent of any substantial wrongdoing, had little intelligence value, and should be immediately released."

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney fought efforts to address the situation, Wilkerson said, because "to have admitted this reality would have been a black mark on their leadership."

Wilkerson told the AP in a telephone interview that many detainees "clearly had no connection to al-Qaida and the Taliban and were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pakistanis turned many over for $5,000 a head."

Does this have the ring of truth, I wonder?

It hasn't set off my bullshit detectors, anyway.

If substantiated, Rumsfeld and Cheney should die in prison for that alone, IMV.

David B

[Uthgar the Brazen]

As long as they die sooner rather than later, and sporting something uncomfortable from their asses in the process.

[Mediancat]

This doesn't surprise me in the least. Didn't we hear rumblings of this for years.

Rob

[sohy]

It's true and there have been articles about this for years. Besides, many of the innocent detainees have already been released.

One thing that seems to be slowing down additional releases is that it is getting hard to find countries that will take them. In most cases, they can't be sent back to their country of origin where they may be persecuted or imprisoned. While European countries have taken in some of them, these same countries are now hesitating. The consensus seems to be that the US should take in some of the detainees too. While I think that is very fair criticism, I also think these detainees would have a very hard time being accepted in the US. That may be one concern. This is another mess the Bush administration has left for Obama.

Don't get me started about Bush and Cheney. I have the impression that our past American presidents will never be prosecuted for their crimes. It looks like the Obama administration doesn't want to deal with it. Maybe it will happen eventually, but I don't hold out much hope.

[PostMortem]

One thing that seems to be slowing down additional releases is that it is getting hard to find countries that will take them. In most cases, they can't be sent back to their country of origin where they may be persecuted or imprisoned. While European countries have taken in some of them, these same countries are now hesitating.

Hell, Canada won't even ask for (nor does the current government even want) its own citizens back from Gitmo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Khadr). Omar Khadr was 15 when captured and has spent almost 7 years at Gitmo and is the only Western citizen remaining in Guantanamo.

[Ray Moscow]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090319/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_guantanamo_wrongly_held

In his posting for The Washington Note blog, Wilkerson wrote that "U.S. leadership became aware of this lack of proper vetting very early on and, thus, of the reality that many of the detainees were innocent of any substantial wrongdoing, had little intelligence value, and should be immediately released."

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney fought efforts to address the situation, Wilkerson said, because "to have admitted this reality would have been a black mark on their leadership."

Wilkerson told the AP in a telephone interview that many detainees "clearly had no connection to al-Qaida and the Taliban and were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pakistanis turned many over for $5,000 a head."

Does this have the ring of truth, I wonder?

It hasn't set off my bullshit detectors, anyway.

If substantiated, Rumsfeld and Cheney should die in prison for that alone, IMV.
David B

Well, we know, or at least strongly suspect, Dubya, Cheney & company committed high crimes against the US and several other nations.

Therefore, wouldn't it be prudent to lock them up in Gitmo until we get around to trying them, if we ever do? They are clearly too dangerous to let run around loose.

[cmoon]

We have people in congress saying the folks over at AIG should commit suicide. If we can go that far, why set the stage for some sort of trial for Bush and Cheney. At a minimum, the unprovoked war against Iraq under the guise of fraudulent claims (and subsequent death of tens (or is it hundreds...I assume hundreds) of thousand of innocent civilians warrants war criminal status.