Related Information to Guantanamo Prisoners: Justice or Revenge

Guantanamo Prisoners: Justice or Revenge - Page 6

Guantanamo is NOT a US prison. It is a POW camp, and thus comes under the Geneva Convention.

I don't know the details of the Geneva Convention, but strongly suggest that anyone who wants to argue about Guantanamo refer to it. As I have expressed before on this very thread, I have rather severe reservations, myself, about Guantanamo. At the same time, we KNOW that many of those (probably not all, maybe not even most) who are incarcerated there most certainly ARE terrorists and terror sympathizers. As such, I feel they must be treated as mad dogs. The difference is that we must determine which are, and which aren't the mad dogs. Then the mad dogs must be either destroyed or incarcerated for the rest of their lives, just in order to protect innocents.

As for Bush & Co. I still hold that they are doing more, and doing it better, than anyone else in the world. So far, nobody has given us any type of workable alternative, other than to roll over and die. We won't.

If the rest of the world doesn't like the US to do what we are doing, then you all need to take over your own defense. We have provided almost all the defense for all the Western world for the last 50 years. That includes Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. You all (perhaps not you personally) want us to stop the thugs from attacking you, but don't want us to do it in either the way we know works for us, nor the most effective way.

Guantanamo Bay is effective. It is also tremendously humane, even compared to many US prisons. Especially compared to the prisons US citizens are subject to in various places. That doesn't make it right, but it should temper the criticisms.

Know that there are a lot of us who are concerned about the situation.

How would YOU resolve all of it?

Revenge Justice Prisoners Guantanamo

I don't think it is a question of resolving, its more a question of transparency.
The US should try to eliminate the false perception about Guantanamo (if it is false, I'm not sure). The international community needs to know who is being detained? what are the charges? who will judge these people? how will these people be tried? what are the guaranties of a fair trial? what rules of international law apply? do the American have the right to detain these people indefinitely?
In addition, the Red Cross and Amnesty international should have greater access to facility an to the prisoners. So far the US has been very reluctant in allowing Amnesty international to assess the situation. This creates superstitions that something wrong is going on. What is the US hiding?? is a quite normal question under the circumstances.

As for the POW camp and the Geneva convention I don't think so but I will check it out.

Guantanamo Prisoners: Justice or Revenge History & Civil Business Politics

And the question is: Is the US compiling with the Geneva Convention regards to these prisoners? in one word: No!!!.

Article 70

Immediately upon capture, or not more than one week after arrival at a camp, even if it is a transit camp, likewise in case of sickness or transfer to hospital or another camp, every prisoner of war shall be enabled to write direct to his family, on the one hand, and to the Central Prisoners of War Agency provided for in Article 123, on the other hand, a card similar, if possible, to the model annexed to the present Convention, informing his relatives of his capture, address and state of health. The said cards shall be forwarded as rapidly as possible and may not be delayed in any manner.

Article 71

Prisoners of war shall be allowed to send and receive letters and cards. If the Detaining Power deems it necessary to limit the number of letters and cards sent by each prisoner of war, the said number shall not be less than two letters and four cards monthly, exclusive of the capture cards provided for in Article 70, and conforming as closely as possible to the models annexed to the present Convention. Further limitations may be imposed only if the Protecting Power is satisfied that it would be in the interests of the prisoners of war concerned to do so owing to difficulties of translation caused by the Detaining Power's inability to find sufficient qualified linguists to carry out the necessary censorship. If limitations must be placed on the correspondence addressed to prisoners of war, they may be ordered only by the Power on which the prisoners depend, possibly at the request of the Detaining Power. Such letters and cards must be conveyed by the most rapid method at the disposal of the Detaining Power; they may not be delayed or retained for disciplinary reasons.

Article 72

Prisoners of war shall be allowed to receive by post or by any other means individual parcels or collective shipments containing, in particular, foodstuffs, clothing, medical supplies and articles of a religious, educational or recreational character which may meet their needs, including books, devotional articles, scientific equipment, examination papers, musical instruments, sports outfits and materials allowing prisoners of war to pursue their studies or their cultural activities.

Article 103

Judicial investigations relating to a prisoner of war shall be conducted as rapidly as circumstances permit and so that his trial shall take place as soon as possible. A prisoner of war shall not be confined while awaiting trial unless a member of the armed forces of the Detaining Power would be so confined if he were accused of a similar offence, or if it is essential to do so in the interests of national security. In no circumstances shall this confinement exceed three months.

The Geneva Convention is really long, so I just mentioned few of the things that are NOT being respected by the US in Guantanamo.

Effective in what way? you have a bunch of people hold by the US (who are the 'liberty-fighters)but these people have NO rights whatsoever (even to call family or lawyers), urinating in bottles and treated them as dogs (Red Cross and AMNESTY reports). In what way is effective?. You said is tremendously humane, I don't know how you based your opinion in this matter when the reports say all the opposite.

Page 6 Revenge Justice Prisoners Guantanamo

Since this thread is about the Guantanamo prisoners only, I am going to start one about the mistreatment of prisoners in Iraq. It seems to have become a big enough issue to discuss on it's own.

As far as Gauntanamo prisioners, I don't think they have been classified as POW's. I think the US calls them "enemy combatants." I think they make this distinction because if they are POWs they have to be released immediately after the conflict ends. In any event, they clearly clearly aren't being afforded the rights due POWs under article 103.

As far as treatment, the recent reports I have read indicate the treatment is actually pretty humane. The initial treatment wasn't so good. I think they were delivered to the prison before it was properly equipped to handle them. This still doesn't make it acceptable in my mind.

How is this so? The US government perhaps, and the US Media maybe although I don't think that is true, but what source do you use for determining what the "American people" believe?

Revenge Justice Prisoners Guantanamo

I did a little more reading yesterday. You are right, they aren't POWs. They are illegal combatants. That is, they don't (didn't) wear the uniform of the enemy, they targetted civilians, and they don't belong to the organization of any of the combatant nations. Therefore, they are, essentially, international criminals.

The Geneva Conventions deal with war between nation-states. So far, there isn't really a definition of how to deal with illegal combatants of an ideology that has declared war against a nation-state.

Guantanamo Prisoners: Justice or Revenge

The term illegal combatants was US invention in order to circumvent international law. If a uniform is the criteria, what about the CIA, FBI and those private enterprise individuals/consultants fighting for big bucks??

Regardless of what law applies and how it is interpreted, there is no excuse for the disregard of basic human rights. If the US wants to be seen has the good guy, then should act like one. Guantanamo is immorally and legally wrong.

On what to I base my conclusion that Americans support this type of facility? If the american people did not, they would be in the streets protesting, Bush and his administration would know in no uncertain terms. The US silence on this tells all.

Guantanamo Prisoners Justice Revenge - Page 6

I am simply going to say you don't know what you are talking about. Period!

I know, because I am a US citizen and I DON"T support the action in Guantanamo bay. I don't go to protests, but that doesn't mean I support the action. I don't go to protests over any issue.

Guantanamo Prisoners Justice Revenge Politics Business Civil & History - Page 6

I don't understand it. There is not really a definition of how to deal with this people but the US have the right to put them in prison and take out their rights?. Listen, I agree with you all that these people are supposed to be criminals, but even the most serious criminal in the US would have a chance to be on trial, make a phone call and have a lawyer!.

I think this is a very unfair statement. You cannot possible know what Americans feel about it, like anything else, they may have divided points of view but to say they support this kind of facility, it is not a fair statement. After all, I'm sure there are lots of things you don't like about your Government and I bet you don't go to every protest to express your opinion.