Saturday, June 04, 2005

Close Guantanamo Now

This latest news story,U.S. Confirms Gitmo Soldier Kicked Quran , is reason enough to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay and find a better way to deal with suspected terrorists. While some may argue that such things happen in every war, that the British had a similar setup at the notorious Maze prison where IRA members were held, that some of those who criticize the US have done worse, the Guantanamo stories are not only a shame and an embarrassment to the US, they serve to undermine the administration's own efforts to be acting in the interests of democracy. Curiously, it is pretty clear from the response to the Amnesty International report that Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld just don't "get it." From a practical--as well as moral-- standpoint, Guantanamo should be closed, and the prisoners receive judicial review to determine their guilt or innocence.