Joint Chiefs chairman: close Guantanamo

AP Via Yahoo! News ^ | Jan 13, 2008 | Robert Burns

[MichMash]

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - The chief of the U.S. military said Sunday he favors closing the prison here as soon as possible because he believes negative publicity worldwide about treatment of terrorist suspects has been "pretty damaging" to the image of the United States.

"I'd like to see it shut down," Adm. Mike Mullen said in an interview with three reporters who toured the detention center with him on his first visit since becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last October.

[kabar]

"Mullen, whose previous visit was in December 2005 as head of the U.S. Navy, noted that President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates also have spoken publicly in favor of closing the prison. But Mullen said he is unaware of any active discussion in the administration about how to do it"/p>/i>

If you read the entire article, Mullen notes the complex legal issues involved and doesn't know how to solve them.

[sofaman]

"I'd like to see it shut down," Adm. Mike Mullen.

Ridiculous. I despair that we have the will to win this fight.

[kabar]

Read the entire article.

[Cicero]

I probably shouldn’t make any assumptions, because I don’t know whether General Pace stepped down because he preferred not to be involved in a political food fight, or whether President Bush asked him to step down and Pace agreed.

But in point of fact, what he said in office was perfectly reasonable and easily defensible, and as he pointed out he would take the same measures against public adultery in the military as he would against public homosexuality.

I wonder if the Democrat congress would have been all that happy if they had tried to push this. It was, after all, bill clinton’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that General Pace was enforcing. The Democrats usually win these battles because the Republicans keep backing down, but I doubt if they would have made themselves very popular if Bush had pursued the renomination of a real military hero and they had to explain why they were blocking it. Popular with gays, maybe, but I don’t think with a majority of voters.

Anyway, it’s water over the dam. But people said at the time that the Admiral was a political appointee who was chosen so as not to offend the Democrats, and that now appears to be the case.

[Tlaloc]

Nazi saboteurs were indeed tried and executed in the US during world war II. They were not given civilian trials. All this happened on US soil, in the continental US.

[kabar]

Wrong. US law does not apply to non-US citizens on those bases. And they are not considered US soil like US embassies are.

[Tlaloc]

Yes they are. US bases are just as much US soil as embassies. US law does apply to Gitmo detainees. The Supreme Court already said so.

[Reagan Man]

I did... NOW whats your point?

[Enchante]

"If you read the entire article, Mullen notes the complex legal issues involved and doesn't know how to solve them."

uh, yup, and so just what is the point of telling liberal MSM twits you want to see it shut down when you have no idea how that can safely and rationally be done? All he's done is to contribute to the stigma of illegitimacy that the MSM and Euro-twits have created for Gitmo, rather than forcefully defending the need for such a facility. Any senior US official should be providing a vigorous defence of the legitimacy of such a facility, not acquiescing to the MSM propaganda campaign.

[rahbert]

The bases elsewhere in the world are leased from the host
country. Local law applies subject to a status of forces agreement.

The assertion that Gitmo is US soil is just not so.

[Tlaloc]

So because Gitmo is on Cuban soil, then local law applies and all the detainees should have Cuban lawyers? Nonsense.

[DoughtyOne]

Gitmo is a legitimate way to house terrorists apprehended on the battlefield.

I don't care if the European pussies or the terrorist enabling United Nations' leaders can't comprehend the difference between combatants covered by the Geneva Convention, and those who are not.  There is a difference and anyone holding a position of authority at the federal level, whether a politician or a military leader, should be well versed why.  If they aren't, then they are holding a position that they shouldn't be.

Gitmo should not be closed.  Those incarcerated there are an excellent example of what will happen to those who opt to take the terrorist route in the future, and that in itself is reason enough to have used for that cause.  We and the world are assured of one thing related to Gitmo detainees.  They will not be trying to kill more people for the duration.  The advisors to the president who suggested it's use, and the president (Bush) who took their advice are to be congratulated.  And those who don't agree, deserve to be challenged for no knowing better.

[DesScorp]

“So is he trying to get a job with Osama Barrack or the Hildebeast?”

Exactly. He’s not a sailor, he’s a f*cking politician. You DO NOT publicly oppose the policies of the duly elected government you’re serving in while in uniform. If he wants to protest Guantanamo, let the SOB retire and do it in civies.

[Lancey Howard]

"I'd like to see it shut down," Adm. Mike Mullen said..... because he believes negative publicity worldwide about treatment of terrorist suspects has been "pretty damaging" to the image of the United States.

This was predicted about this scumbag Mullen back when the Democrats told Bush to replace the terrific Peter Pace. Mullen thinks gays should be able to openly prance into the military as well. Look for that to come next. Congratulations, President Bush, you friggin' coward.

[clintonh8r]

squid

[Ulysse]

BUSH became obviously less and less conservative,more and more liberal at the end of his 2d term.
No one sensible here said he did everything right or wrong.
The prblem is that HUCKABEE criticize him when he is conservative and support him when he is a whining useless liberal...ALWAYS WRONG HUCK the true liberal

[jwalsh07]

The same ole shit, if you stay in DC long enough you come to believe that anthropogenic global warming will be the death of us all, 50% of a citizens money taken in taxes is not enough, illegal aliens are not illegal and scumbag jihadists are entilted to all the rights of a US citizen and more rights than a US warrior.

General Pace, God bless you and keep you because there aren't hardly any like you left.

[JoeGar]

McCain wants to bring them to the US, give them endlessly renewable Z visas, and offer them a chance to work toward citizenship.

[Joan Kerrey]

“I’d like to see it shut down,” Adm. Mike Mullen said in an interview with three reporters who toured the detention center with him on his first visit since becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last October.

---

Grounds for dismissal in my view. Get rid of the jerk.

[jwalsh07]

All US military bases are US soil. The bay is leased from Cuba but the base and prison are US soil.

Read the lease agreement, it is quite explicit on sovereignty. And that is Cuba's.