Slashdot Mirror
WikiLeaks Releases Guantanamo Prisoner Files
HungryHobo writes with news that WikiLeaks has started to release a collection of 779 files involving the detainees in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
"The details for every detainee will be released daily over the coming month. ... In thousands of pages of documents dating from 2002 to 2008 and never seen before by members of the public or the media, the cases of the majority of the prisoners held at Guantánamo — 758 out of 779 in total — are described in detail in memoranda from JTF-GTMO, the Joint Task Force at Guantánamo Bay, to US Southern Command in Miami, Florida. These memoranda, which contain JTF-GTMO's recommendations about whether the prisoners in question should continue to be held, or should be released (transferred to their home governments, or to other governments) contain a wealth of important and previously undisclosed information, including health assessments, for example, and, in the cases of the majority of the 171 prisoners who are still held, photos (mostly for the first time ever)."
Reader rrayst notes that according to one such document, if you use a Casio F-91W wristwatch, you might be a member of al-Qaida.
because if we aren't willing to take the innocent ones
Why not? We blew up their country, hung their leader, took their oil, destroyed their economy, killed a bunch of their family and friends. Last but by no means least, they're innocent, which you can't say for the illegals living here.
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
Where's all that Hope and Change?
Alright, that went to Score 0: Flamebait in five minutes. How about this:
It's Bush's fault!
Godaddy is a scam and a ripoff.
Because they are citizens of those countries. We try to give them BACK, first.
And when that doesn't work, you DO try to put them elsewhere.
I'm from Germany, for example, and our government here (the conservative coalition that has ruled since 2009) has been in talks with the US government concerning taking a couple of Gitmo prisoners. I think it's fair enough in principle, but the question remains: if these people a) aren't dangerous and b) can't be sent back to their homeland, for whatever reason, why should they be sent to Germany rather than the USA? The USA are responsible for this mess, and they should damn well clean it up.
I'd say actually less than you would find on other fora.
In theory, yes. But when the difference between guantanamo or not is a cheap casio watch, then things are very different.
It's quite interesting to read that they arrested people that they knew were innocent, just so they could interrogate them.
"an al-Jazeera journalist was held at GuantÃnamo for six years, partly in order to be interrogated about the Arabic news network."
Another gut was arrested "because of his general knowledge of activities in the areas of Khowst and Kabul based as a result of his frequent travels through the region as a taxi driver".
The people who ratified the 5th amendment a couple centuries ago, and all the people since then who have chosen to not repeal it.
That's the complaint about it. There is a very basic and easy-to-understand principle behind the 5th amendment, and it doesn't go away simply because of certain interpretations of what "no person" means. If people think the 5th amendment is a bad idea that they no longer agree with, they should work to repeal it. Ignoring it, though, is just plain lawlessness. Not that I'm particularly lawful either, but this is the fucking government we're talking about. Without law, they're nothing.
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
it's not the reason they arrested them
It sometimes was:
"In a handful of cases the detainee's possession of a Casio watch or the wearing olive-drab clothing is cited as evidence that the detainee is an enemy combatant. No basis is given to explain why such evidence makes the detainee an enemy combatant."
You can't take the sky from me...
I think that the last problem could be addressed by a really big public apology by the heads of the tree branches of USA's government, the heads of the Army, Navy an Air Force,a big enough monetary compensation to the inmates and their families and proper punishment to the bastards that jailed and tortured innocent men, along the same punishment that they would have received if they had detained and tortured a beautiful, popular blonde american girl.
Mexico: 100% conservative's America now!
You might want to READ the constitution sometime. How about this: Amendment V http://topics.law.cornell.edu/constitution/billofrights#amendmentv No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. The "nor be deprived of liberty without due process" part is key. Notice it doesn't specify WHERE (or who) you are protected, meaning it applies everywhere including gitmo. This passage means that the US government can't kidnap you and hold you in gitmo for many years without trial (legally). Also i believe killing US military personnel might count as "infamous crimes", and therefore require a grand jury indictment.