Floor Statement by Senator Richard J. Durbin on Guantanamo Bay<br> June 14, 2005

The State Journal-Register Springfield, Illinois ^ | June 14, 2005 | Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks to SittinYonder for providing the link to this important document.

We believe this does represent his words on that date.

[GOP_1900AD]

SEDITION!!!!

[... we need to dust off the Sedition Act of 1918 .... for currently, there is nothing we can do about sedition ...]

[FlingWingFlyer]

Little Dick is just concerned that his terrorists pals aren't being treated like kings. They hate America. He hates America. They are peas in a pod. Bin Durbin and the terrorists have a common enemy. US.

[The Shrew]

Any chance anyone knows where to get Digital Audio of this 'speech?'

Thanks for the post.

TS

[traviskicks]

I think the most effective way is to email his contributers:

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?CID=N00004981&cycle=2004

Hurt him where it counts!

[Zacs Mom]

[eyespysomething]

Thanks SY!

[SittinYonder]

Thanks SY!

Why is it everything you say sounds sarcastic?

[sirthomasthemore]

GOP has to reinforce the reasons why we're in Iraq, and remind Americans (as memories of 9/11 fade into a battle of who makes money at Ground Zero) that terrorism remains a real threat.

Durbin and the Dems are politicizing terrorism to their advantage, Where we are losing the battle to the DEMS and media as to our presence in Iraq, Durbin's comments present an opportunity for the GOP to reaffirm the basis for our war on terrorism and regain public support.

GOP has to frame this issue, and drum it home.

Therefore,all out war on Durbin---censure or resignation!

[eyespysomething]

You know, I'm not being being sarcastic all the time.

Just most of the time.

[PureTrouble]

A country has to sign the agreement so that if there is a war the country is legally bound to the articles in the Geneva Convention. Thus the Tali ban soldiers were returned after the war.

The only people at gitmo are the foreigners who were not part of any countries military. So there was a question to ask. What do you do with these guys and where do you put them? How do you treat them? In this case, the prisoners there have been well treated.

The only problem is that the US will release these guys to the country the guys says he is from if the country asks. But other countries are not asking, because they do not want these guys back or they say these guys do not belong to their country.

Now, is the US violating the Geneva Convention? Well to be eligible for the treatment you have to belong to a country that has signed the Geneva Convention and you have to formally be a soldier and wear a uniform from that country(actual county army participation). In the case of the people at gitmo, they were not part of another countries army so they don't fall under the treatment of the Geneva Convention.

The US is treating the prisoners at gitmo per the Geneva Convention. And when the War on terror is over, I believe that the US will release these guys. The problem is the WOT is not over so there is no reason to release them.

[marblehead17]

ping

[Thumbellina]

`Nazi' comment disgraceful
By Boston Herald editorial staff
Friday, June 17, 2005

The second highest ranking Democrat in the Senate has compared American servicemen and women to Nazis on the floor of that body. Has political debate sunk so low that a comment that hideous can be made by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) without repercussions?

Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) lost his leadership position for the lesser if still odious offense of praising Strom Thurmond's presidential campaign which had taken place decades earlier.

``If I read this ... and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime - Pol Pot or others,'' Durbin said of Guantanamo ``abuses'' like ratcheting up the air conditioning in detainees' cells.

When Amnesty International makes such comparisons it irreversibly damages its credibility. When a U.S. senator does so, he damages the institution and the country he serves.

Durbin must go.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Additional link:

FBI Memo Durbin quoted from

[Thumbellina]

Video link found here: http://treyjackson.typepad.com/junction/2005/06/video_durbin_un.html

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Outstanding.....just listened to it!

[mrmargaritaville]

I say we set the prisoners free-put them on a couple of 747's and take them to O'Hare or Midway-give em all $100, a map of the city of Chicago, a couple of mass transit tokens and let them be on their way.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I am going to include this :

******************************************************************

Unholy Alliance

by David Horowitz
Hardcover - (September 2004) - $27.95

In this tour de force on the most important issue of our time, David Horowitz, confronts the paradox of how so many Americans, including the leadership of the Democratic Party, could turn against the War on Terror. He finds an answer in a political Left that shares a view of America as the “Great Satan” with America’s radical Islamic enemies.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Most have been captured in Afghanistan and Iraq, but some people who never raised arms against us have been taken prisoner far from the battlefield.

Where is the battlefield and what about the Financiers?