Monday, March 14, 2005

Guantanamo Bay

It seems that the US government has finally realised that holding "enemy combatants" at Guantanamo Bay for an indefinite period might not be such a good idea in the continuing War on Terror. The US justice system has not been cooperating and this has made the situation rather embarrasing for the administration. Unfortunately the solution which the Pentagon wants to implement doesn't seem to have the approval of the courts either.

The BBC report that a US judge blocks Yemeni jail move
The Guardian says Guantánamo prisoners win transfer reprieve

It is not often that I say "Well done that judge!" but it seems appropriate here. I cannot comment about the conditions the detainee's might have faced in Yemen but I do have some knowledge of the Saudi security services (a marginal benefit of having relatives employed in the oil industry). It should go without saying but if you want to occupy the moral high ground you really ought to act in a way which is unquestionable correct. Sending these "enemy combatants", most of whom have never been found guilty of any crime, to countries where they may be tortured doesn't appear to be the best way to achieve this.

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