Posted on 05/15/2009 1:19:09 AM PDT by Schnucki
President Barack Obama has given permission for military trials to restart at Guantanamo Bay in an announcement that effectively repudiated one of his first decisions in office.
The White House attempted to forestall criticism from President Obama's liberal supporters by promising improved legal safeguards.
President Obama stopped military commissions, which were trying suspects in the September 11, 2001 attacks on America by al-Qaeda as soon as he took over from George W Bush. President Obama ordered a review of the procedures, declaring the system did not work. But he was careful not to rule out the use of a modified tribunal system in future.
The new legal framework, which will try the most prominent Al-Qaeda suspects now at the Guantanamo Bay war on terror camp in Cuba, would include restrictions on the use of hearsay evidence against detainees. The revisions would also reportedly ban evidence obtained through coercion, such as waterboarding and other enhanced CIA interrogation techniques.
Five detainees have been charged with playing a role in the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, including the plot's self-proclaimed mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
Republicans condemned the order to close Guantanamo Bay by late January next year, and Democrats have rejected a White House funding request to shutter the prison. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham applauded the decision to revamp the tribunals as a step toward strengthening policies that have been derided worldwide.
"I continue to believe it is in our own national security interests to separate ourselves from the past problems of Guantanamo," said Sen Graham. "I agree with the president and our military commanders that now is the time to start over and strengthen our detention policies. I applaud the president's actions today."
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
What problems? Name one for me, Graham.
The entire "problem" was the media screaming that the terrorists weren't being kept in a 5-star Hilton.
Lindsey, do something useful, go help John build a fence!
I’ll tell you this is damning to 0bama and the Demonrats because it clearly shows they were POLITICIZING WAR FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT AND SEEKING DEFEAT JUST TO GET BUSH!! To hell with the country! It’s all about them and all the more to take into account the complete lies they spouted on Bush. These people are a danger and true domestic enemies and this proves it because they never did have valid criticism.
If your opinion of Zero is ‘improving’, he is playing you like a strativarius. The only reason Obama is flip-flopping is because the polls in this country are saying that over 75% of the american people do not want these terrorists in our country.
Wake up. Everything Obama does is about HIM...nothing else, nothing more.
“You’ve got to give him credit”
Nope.....he is undermining my country.
Great point.
These enhanced techniques were not used as the left thinks they were, as some grand inquisition to obtain confessions -
they were used to prevent future attacks.
Gator113 is correct. The changes set up mass acquittals. Then what?
The majority of evidence, from what I’ve read, came from foreign intelligence organizations that won’t divulge where they got the info. That is ‘hearsay’. It also came from coerced testimony. That is tossed out. By the time any decent lawyer runs what is left thru the ringer, you’re going to have a lot of acquittals.
And how will the press portray that? Will it be, “Obama is going to let loose a lot of terrorists”, or , “GWB held and tortured a lot of innocent men”?
And how will that affect the war on terror, our foreign policy and our relations with other countries?
Obama lives in La-La Land. If you consider this a sign he’s ‘growing up’, you live there too.
“I think he now realizes what dangerous people he’s dealing with here...What, you don’t think that his Military Advisors have informed him, as Commander in Chief, and in no uncertain terms, what viscous lunatics these people are?”
What indication is there of this? Do you REALLY think he gives a rat’s rear end about what anyone in the military thinks? Do you really think he cares what ANYONE thinks? He is the all wise Messiah. Messiahs don’t listen to the little people - and to Obama, everyone is a little person.
Yup PS, watch out for that ‘Reichstag . . . . er I mean Swine Flu
Nothing, absolutely nothing, this guy does is because he is learning how to be a leader, every thing he does is designed to tear down our economy and destroy our freedoms, so communism, or facism if you will, can be put in place of our present system.
My opinions of him are still going down. If there is a grade lower than F- I would give it to him. Far be it from me to call you a troll, but you certainly sound like a Bozo apologist. This guy is learning nothing.
He is changing the rules on the tribunals and they will all be aquitted because of it. This is a move designed to Cover his A** and nothing more. If he turns them lose on the streets and they start killing people he will be the one blamed. If they are aquitted by a tribunal and turned loose and start killing people then he can blame the Military.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, this guy does is because he is learning how to be a leader, every thing he does is designed to tear down our economy and destroy our freedoms, so communism, or facism if you will, can be put in place of our present system.
“willing to suffer the humiliation he’s getting for reversing his positions” - You ARE kidding or just forgot the /sarc on that one, right? The MSM will cover for this guy until the arctic melts and we all grow gills before they lay one iota of responsibility on the One’s head!
The only humiliation is the satisfaction that we few remaining patriots feel as we know that he was lying then, he is lying now and he will be lying in the future! Otherwise, there is no humiliation! Besides, he is the One, so he can change his mind and we are all supposed to bow and say, “Oh, thank you, the One; your guidance has surely saved us from our own misgivings!”
More shill for the sheeple!
has given permission for military trials to restart at Guantanamo Bay in an announcement that effectively repudiated one of his first decisions in office... The new legal framework, which will try the most prominent Al-Qaeda suspects now at the Guantanamo Bay war on terror camp in Cuba, would include restrictions on the use of hearsay evidence against detainees. The revisions would also reportedly ban evidence obtained through coercion, such as waterboarding and other enhanced CIA interrogation techniques.No, it doesn't repudiate one of his first decisions in office. He'll be able to say, see, we didn't hold them indefinitely without trial, and made sure the rules of evidence were more in accord with American jurisprudence -- but he'll still get the acquittals he desperately wants. Sure am glad McCain lost. /sarc
There's no way he's smart enough to have planned this as a bait and switch tactic. Incompetence is the only answer.
On another thread yesterday, Ollie North wrote a good piece on Koh. No one seems to be objecting to his nomination, but in his position, he will advise and help set foreign policy--International law for Pete sakes. Another hate America apologist seeking to "better" us by scrapping the basis of our law in favor of gun banners, death penalty haters, in fact--US of A haters.
vaudine
We’ll see.
And yet Guantanamo is still open, and the tribunals still continue. I don't know what gives *you* the indication that anything has changed, or is going to in the near future. He only made these promises to his loony base so he could get elected.
“Guantanamo is still open” because he can’t find anyone to take the prisoners. That may change when they are acquitted by gutted military tribunals.
If you think Obama isn’t a committed leftist, you are hopelessly naive.
Think whatever you want...
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