I just said that Obama is on my watch list and he has the distinct honor of being the first to be exposed in this series. During the campaign for president, candidate Obama was adamant that was happening at Guantanamo Bay was wrong and that the prison holding alleged terrorists would be closed. He said torture was wrong. He said holding people without the rule of law was wrong and that once president, he would immediately change the way the US dealt with the prisoners held there and then the symbol of US injustice and abuse would be closed. Well it's been two years since then and it's still open. It's still open and American injustice is beamed into television sets and sent via the internet to cities and small villages all over the world.
Before any of my right wing war mongering friends get up in arms, let me say this. To any terrorist who harms innocent people, or to anyone who assisted in terrorism, I wish them death or life long incarceration. But you have to do it right. You have to expose these people in a legal system which is admired the world over, except by Republicans in our own country. So, to those Republicans, I ask, "why do you hate America?". OK, that was a little joke to play on their hypocrisy. But it kinda rings true doesn't it? Back to the point. Unfortunately there are many problems with convicting these people in US courts and they all start with the policies of "The Little Goat Reader", GW Bush. First, there is little evidence to suggest that there was any discretion used when many of the Guantanamo inhabitants were picked up, blindfolded and flown to Camp X Ray (side note; I was among 20 security specialists sent to GB in 1994 who oversaw the construction of the prison and ran it for the first 6 months. Another story, another time.) Taxi cab drivers, farmers, goat herders were swept up in a huge fishnet in a race to catch real terrorists. Many of these people were held for months or years before being released. If they didn't have a hatred for America before they kidnapped and tortured, they do now. Another problem is evidence. We may suspect they are terrorists but may not have all the facts needed to convict them. But the main problem, is torture. Tortured subjects who confess during torture can not be convicted with that evidence.
Yes, the non-closure of GB is hypocritical but what this post is really about is a 15 year old Canadian boy, Omar Khadr. Don't know the name? A little history; Omar Khadr was 15 years old when he was caught up in the war in Afghanistan. He was indoctrinated to believe that America was the enemy and that enemy was going to kill him and to be a good Muslim he would have to fight if the Americans came. The Americans came and amidst a battle, Omar threw a grenade which killed an American service member. As tragic as one of my fellow Americans deaths was, it was not by terrorism. It was done during an act of war by a 15 year old boy defending himself and those he loved. What happens next is detailed in a piece by Glenn Greenwald on Salon.com
http://www.salon.com/news/guantanamo/index.html?story=/opinion/greenwald/2010/08/11/khadr
"It boggles the mind that the military judge could find that Khadr was not coerced and gave these statements to interrogators voluntarily. Khadr, then 15 years old, was taken to Bagram near death, after being shot twice in the back, blinded by shrapnel, and buried in rubble from a bomb blast. He was interrogated within hours, while sedated and handcuffed to a stretcher. He was threatened with gang rape and death if he didn't cooperate with interrogators. He was hooded and chained with his arms suspended in a cage-like cell, and his primary interrogator was later court-martialed for detainee abuse leading to the death of a detainee. During his subsequent eight-year (so far) detention at Guantánamo, Khadr was subjected to the "frequent flyer" sleep deprivation program and he says he was used as a human mop after he was forced to urinate on himself."
Omar Khadr is being tried as a terrorist by a military tribunal which is supposed to be fair and protect the accused basic rights, like not allowing admissions of guilt to be allowed if gained by torture. A miliatry judge has ruled that his guilty statements, made while being repeatedly tortured, are admissible.
President Obama promised us to shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison and restore our rule of law. He has not and by trying a boy who was 15 years old when he defended himself, was then tortured, is barbaric.
Our country used to be a shining beacon of decency and hope for the world to admire. President Obama was the guy who was going to help restore that admiration. Unfortunately, as we have seen with GB and Omar Khadr, President Obama is a Hypocritcal Rat Bastard.
