Pentagon Guantanamo List Angers Nations

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 4-20-2006 | Paul Garwood

[blam]

Pentagon Guantanamo List Angers Nations

Thursday April 20, 2006 11:01 PM

By PAUL GARWOOD

Associated Press Writer

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A chorus of complaints against the Bush administration erupted Thursday after the Pentagon released a previously secret list of the names and nationalities of 558 people held at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay.

Britain said its citizen should be freed after being held for years without charges. Afghanistan's peace and reconciliation commission vowed to send a delegation to the prison to make sure Afghans are not being mistreated. China demanded custody of a group of Muslim separatists so it can prosecute them on terrorism charges.

The list, released Wednesday under orders of a federal judge in a Freedom of Information lawsuit filed by The Associated Press, may provide the first proof of life to families whose relatives have disappeared, said Antonella Notari, spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross.

About 490 detainees from about 40 countries are now at the base. The Red Cross - the only outside agency the United States has allowed to visit the detainees - previously had access to the list but was not allowed to make it public.

The information stirred anger in many countries. In Pakistan, a senior official said it shows Washington concealed information about its citizens. Egyptian and Jordanian security officials said none of their citizen detainees had criminal records or known terrorist connections. Activists in Mauritania and Bahrain demanded freedom for their citizens, who are approaching their fifth year without trial.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban's former ambassador to Pakistan, who was held from 2002 to late 2005 in Guantanamo Bay, said the world deserved a better idea of who remained behind bars and whether they committed any crimes.

[magslinger]

Britain said its citizen should be freed after being held for years without charges.

Absolutely. I'm thinking HANO insertion back to where we found him.

[Antonello]

In response perhaps we should present these complaining countries with a bill for the costs of imprisoning their exported terrorist citizens.

Except I might be tempted to go ahead and hand over the ones China is asking for instead. I have a feeling those guys wouldn't just be released with a slap on the wrist and a wet, sloppy kiss.

[patton]

HANO? That's like a HALO gone bad? LOL.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I thought I'd read that the Chinese had been refusing to take these guys?????

[tobyhill]

We get first call at hangings.

[gondramB]

The U.S. wouldn't be very happy either if our citizens were disappeared and neither their country or family was informed and the citizens were then held for years without charges.

If we thought they were terrorists would would want to be notifies so we could consider prosecution too and if we were not sure they were terrorists we would want to protect their rights.

[lepton]

Except I might be tempted to go ahead and hand over the ones China is asking for instead. I have a feeling those guys wouldn't just be released with a slap on the wrist and a wet, sloppy kiss.

Actually, we've determined that those particular prisoners aren't a problem. We're only keeping them because no one but China will accept them, and we're not accepting them as immigrants.

[TexanToTheCore]

To all countries who are angry over their citizens...


You couldn't control them so we had to and we will continue to do so in the future.

[rocksblues]

Britain said its citizen should be freed after being held for years without charges.No. Afghanistan's peace and reconciliation commission vowed to send a delegation to the prison to make sure Afghans are not being mistreated.No. China demanded custody of a group of Muslim separatists so it can prosecute them on terrorism charges.OK.

[Doe Eyes]

Al-Qaida is at war with the United States. We release the POW's when the war is over. Same as any war.

[Malsua]

HANO? That's like a HALO gone bad? LOL.

Well, I believe in Miracles. My thought, let them Pray and push them out. If their Moon god finds them innocent, he'll grow wings on them and they'll flutter safely to the ground. If they're guilty, they might bounce a few times. Either way, it'd be fun to watch.

[verity]

"Pentagon Guantanamo List Angers Nations"

Cry me a river.

[liberty_lvr]

Oh, baloney

If you think our government would go out of it's way for a known terrorist captured on the battlefield fighting our allies, you're smoking crack.

[gondramB]

"Oh, baloney

If you think our government would go out of it's way for a known terrorist captured on the battlefield fighting our allies, you're smoking crack."

I guarentee we would expect to be notified if a U.S. citizen was taken into indefinate custody.

[patton]

works for me.

[gondramB]

"Al-Qaida is at war with the United States. We release the POW's when the war is over. Same as any war."

Under that logic we still notify the home country.

[patton]

hmmmm. I guess if some guys blew up the eiffel tower, we might be less than adamant about their rights.

[gondramB]

"hmmmm. I guess if some guys blew up the eiffel tower, we might be less than adamant about their rights."

When one of our citizens is clearly guilty and properly captured we don't demand him back but we do expect to be notified and allowed to make sure he has been properly detained.

[patton]

ok, granted.