GITMO Should Be Closed

I just finished watching President Obama and Former Vice President Cheney giving speeches about the War on Terror, and Guantanamo Bay.  For speaking points, I would have to give Cheney the edge for a better delivery.  For substance, Obama wins.  At least on this issue of the day.

It was interesting that Cheney was upset that only certain information has been declassified.  He feels that if more information was known, the public would view his position in a more positive light.  What he failed to mention, is that under the Bush Administration, with a compliant Republican Congress, the law was changed to allow the President sole authority when it comes to declassifying documents.  Previously, after a period of 25 years, information would be declassified.  Now the President can selectively declassify anything he wants, without any oversight from any members of Congress.  That’s the way the Republicans wanted it done, just a few short years ago.  Now, out of power, Cheney seems upset by that.

I am opposed to granting the President or the Congress anymore power than they already have.  Ultimate power rests with the people, not the government.  Both Cheney and Obama seem to be missing that point.  Instead, both are using partisan tactics to govern.

As far as Gitmo is concerned, Obama is right to seek its closure.  The entire purpose for sending detainees there was to circumvent our laws and treaty obligations regarding prisoners (or as Cheney likes to call them, detainees, enemy combants, terrorists, anything but what they actually are: prisoners).  The Supreme Court heard about a half dozen cases during the Bush Administration on this issue, and the Bush Administration lost every case.  Even the two justices appointed by Bush sided against him on this issue.  The bottom line is that despite holding prisoners at Gitmo, they must be treated like any other prisoners under the law.

Cheney still says that everything the previous administration did was legal.  The courts have not held that view.  Obama is right to change the policies to bring them into compliance with our laws, and our country’s values.  Extremists in the President’s party are not satisified with these changes, however.  Some seek to prosecute people for actions taken in regards to these prior policies.  As one aquaintance of mine stated on his blog, it is a “witch hunt”.  For the sake of the country, the witch hunt should stop.  We should change the policies as Obama is trying to do, and move on.

We have military prisons in this country capable of housing the prisoners now at Guantanamo Bay.  Leavenworth is one such example.  They even have courtrooms there for trials, tribunals, or whatever else may be used to hear the cases of these prisoners.  There are other facilities that could be used as well.  We could even build a new one, if necessary.

Abuses of prisoners at places like Guantanamo and Abu Gharaib have caused the ranks of terrorist organizations to swell.  Torture of prisoners is not only counter to American values, but it costs lives of military men and women put into harms way in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.  This is because it hardens the resistance of those who oppose us.

I am not a big fan of President Obama, but on this issue, he is taking the right stand.  In our quest for justice, we can not allow bloodlust to cloud our judgement.  History will judge us on how closely we abide by our stated values.  America can be strong on defense, aggressive in our actions, and still be as Abraham Lincoln, and later Ronald Reagan, said: “the last best hope” on Earth.