Posted on 09/24/2009 6:32:32 PM PDT by Saije
In late 2001, when the Pentagon decided to put detainees at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the task of setting up a camp and establishing its rules went to Marine Brig. Gen. Michael Lehnert.
Lehnert planned to rely on what he learned while running a camp at Guantanamo in the mid-1990s for nearly 19,000 Cubans and Haitians trying to flee to the United States.
And he was determined to follow the spirit, if not the letter, of the Geneva Convention, providing decent food, banning extreme interrogation and allowing religious services. He brought in a Muslim chaplain and permitted visits by the Red Cross.
When detainees went on a hunger strike, he spoke to them, even allowing one to get a phone message from his wife in Afghanistan.
But in the bureaucratic jostling that followed, Lehnert's approach was supplanted by that of a hard-nosed Army general...
On Thursday, as the 58-year-old officer prepared to retire after 36 years in the Marine Corps, he expressed his deep disappointment about what happened at Guantanamo after he left.
"I think we lost the moral high ground," Lehnert said. "For those who do not think much of the moral high ground, that is not that significant.
"But for those who think our standing in the international community is important, we need to stand for American values. You have to walk the walk, talk the talk."
Shortly after leaving Guantanamo, Lehnert said he concluded that the detention center should be shut down as soon as possible, a position that he holds more strongly now.
"I think we should close it down," he said. "I think the information we're getting is not worth the international beating we're taking."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Until our Prisoners are treated by the Taliban as GOOD as Gitmo I don’t want to hear it
Move them next door to the General. Problem solved.
General. you are a moron.
I didn’t realize the USMC had “McPeaks” in their ranks.
Too bad...
“Move them next door to the General. Problem solved.”
According to the article, that might just happen:
“Lehnert and his wife plan to retire in their native Michigan, not that far from the prison at Standish, Mich., which is in the running to take some of the Guantanamo detainees once the detention facility is closed, which is planned to occur in the coming months.
“I think they’re following me,” Lehnert said with a smile.”
“Lehnert planned to rely on what he learned while running a camp at Guantanamo in the mid-1990s for nearly 19,000 Cubans and Haitians trying to flee to the United States.”
Officers....can’t tell the difference between those trying to flee to the US versus those trying to destroy the US.
1SG (ret)
Moral of the story: If you're a powerful country, given the choice between being feared and loved, take feared. Everyone in the world would love a neutered America. I'm not saying we go out of our way to be feared, but we have to do what we think is right for us, not for Chad, Lesotho, Latvia, Iran, or Andorra. When the tide is against us, we cannot count on Uruguay or Namibia to fight with us.
I bet they used a lot of 91C internment/relocation specialist MPs back then, in 2006 they changed the MOS number to 31C.
Maybe he was competent at the logistics.
But whether it was worth it is above his pay grade.
Colonel Meyers: Who's in charge here?
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: I am, sir. Major Malcolm Powers.
Colonel Meyers: Did you lead this assault?
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Sir, Leutenant Ring and Gunnery Sergeant Highway disobeyed a direct order. I told them to wait for support but they went up this hill anyway.
Colonel Meyers: [to Highway] Why?
Highway: We're Marines, sir. We're paid to adapt, to improvise.
Lieutenant M.R. Ring: Sir, I gave the order to take this hill.
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Ring, this is going to ruin your career.
Colonel Meyers: Are you new to the infantry, Major?
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Yes, sir. Just came over from supply.
Colonel Meyers: Were you good at that?
Maj. Malcolm A. Powers: Yes, sir!
Colonel Meyers: Well then, stick to it because you're a walking…
They do not take prisoners. The Taliban kills them and or tortures and kills them. They like to cut their heads off as it is filmed. Evil Bastards
Also no intelligence experience or training cited.
Red Cross, eh?
So, he tortured prisoners by subjecting them to a Christian symbol?
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