Posted on 01/07/2006 6:08:02 AM PST by mcg2000
And as we all know, the Germans are experts when it comes to prison camps.
Of course, POWs are retained as long as the war continues. So that any terrorists taken in the US 'War on Terror' may be retained at our discretion.
They are not common criminals. This is not a legal affair. They are enemies of the United States and should be treated as such...
dvwjr
To be fair to Merkel, her response was very diplomatic and I liked her use of "long term".
There you go! Turn that thought around on yourself! That is the whole point of this conversation. If your government has not figured out by now that the US government will make their own decisions and do not need Merkel to tell us what to do with Gitmo. Germany is an industrialized nation but they have one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe. The rate was at 9.3 percent in November, that's above the 8.5 percent rate in the 25-member EU and about the same as it was when Hitler came into power. In comparison, the U.S. unemployment rate is currently at 5 percent. Tell Merkel to take care of business at home. We do not need her.
I see less of a connection between the US and Germany every day and I won't weep at leaving Germany behind. However, as a people - we hope to continue calling you, in particular, a friend.
Well it is clear that your administration is doing its own decisions. It is just the question if a friend can say to his friend that he is wrong from his point of view. It is a difference if you have only aboulic vassals on your side or nations with their own free picture of this world. Just think about it.
BTW - You guys seem to run out of arguments. Our unemployment rate or Adolf Hitler have -to my limited knowlege- nothing to do with your little dungeon in the sun?!!
Personally -I said this before- I do believe like most Americans here that Gitmo is inevitable. On the other hand it would be a good idea to give this prison a better legal framework.
We are - indeed!
Friendship is to be earned, eh? Merkel has not shown that she is a friend nor has Germany shown itself to be a friend.
You guys seem to run out of arguments. Our unemployment rate or Adolf Hitler have -to my limited knowlege- nothing to do with your little dungeon in the sun?!!
Your nation needs to help itself before attempting to tell the superpower what it should do, don't you think? I do not throw Hitler at you in the usual sense - only time your unemployment was this high was during his first year of uh reign.
Merkel, as the head of Germany´s most powerful party, has not hidden her opinion that military steps against Iraq were right back in 2002/3. She has been called an asscrawler of the US, because 80% of Germans were against that war. During a high-time of opposition to the US, she wasn´t willing to bend her views. With that, she has proven a) to have a backbone, and b) to be a friend of America.
It surely isn´t a normal war. The definition of war doesn´t really match here, comparable to the legal status of the "war on drugs". This is terrorism, and terrorism is a criminal behaviour. That´s why the treatment of the inmates in Gitmo is so complicated: some are caught as Taliban right on the battlefield bearing their arms openly, while others were captured in non-war zones. You need to find better solutions "in the longer term", for the legal status of these people, that´s what Merkel thinks (and me too). Otherwise, it could be hard to consider your country a state that is based on what we in Europe call "Western values". I´ve heard even the Chinese put their inmates on trial...
The Nazis were convicted in Nuremburg for crimes which were no crimes at the time they were committed (legally). There was no law allowing or forbidding anything on or out of the battlefield. But the idea of Nuremburg was, that some things simply cannot be right (such as executing civilians without a trial). Shortly after that, the Geneva Conventions were written.
truth bump
The lack of trials is that by far not all of the inmates of Guantanamo Bay were put on trial. Personally, I don´t see a fault in bringing them to military tribunals, but the thing is, many aren´t. Or are they? We don´t hear much from that location (lack of transparency). The Geneva Conventions were written under the impression of WW2. There was no idea that the US or any other country could hunt civilians worldwide as terrorists. You need to ensure that there is a maximum of lawful treatment, especially that no innocent can be kept behind bars. That´s the fear behind all criticism.
It´s a great advantage being obligated to report your current address to the city administration (we´re not reporting to the police). The state always knows where to write letters to you (for taxes, fines for wrong parking, notifications for elections), and it makes sure (combined with the national IS) that there´s no voter fraud, for instance. Everybody can only register in ONE city/town.
The middle ages ended with the invention of the bookpress, the discovery of the American continent and the translation of the bible/reformation.
Hammadi was supposed to get life in German prison. Life with no parole
My German wife and I were required to go to the police station and register our new apartment with them. Town Hall is just a few blocks away but we were required to go to THE POLICE STATION and register.
In America, only sex offenders are required to register with the police. As for advantages, I never had a problem being contacted by the State in America. I would much rather have true freedom, rather than be treated and watched like a filthy sex offender.
Angela Merkel visited George Bush to show her support during his first clash with Gerhard Schroeder. This was political suicide for a German politician at that time since the vast German majority was (and is) absolutely in-line with Schroeders Iraq policy. In a famous satire magazine (der Eulenspiegel) she was shown with a filled mouth together with Pres. Bush in the same situation like Mrs Lewinski was with Pres. Clinton... It was more than just disgusting for Mrs Merkel and her husband. For backing the standpoint of Pres. Bush she had to pay a bitter price. This affair was one of the reasons why her last election has such a disappointing outcome. I think that a politician can not do more than to renounce on sure votes. Furthermore she was insulted in a really sick way for being a stauch friend of Pres. Bush.
I would say that she has every right to say her opinion. No matter if you or anybody else in America like it or not.
Your nation needs to help itself before attempting to tell the superpower what it should do, don't you think? I do not throw Hitler at you in the usual sense - only time your unemployment was this high was during his first year of uh reign.
Hitler is dust since 61 years and unemployment has nothing to do with the issue. The situation is completely different to 1933. This is a ridicolus comparison. You should work on your argumentation.
BTW - even the Superduperpower needs help sometimes.
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