Guantanamo Counsel Resigns in Disgust
Lt. Col. Darrel J. Vandeveld resigned from the military commissions tribunals at Guantanamo convinced that the system denies defense attorneys exculpatory evidence that the government knows about, which might prove the innocence of the defendant.
The Guantanamo issue tells us a lot about the candidates and their commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law. Obama is clear: ' I will close Guantanamo.
I will restore habeas corpus. And we will end torture and rendition because you will have elected a president who has taught the Constitution and believes in the Constitution and will obey the Constitution of the United States of America." -- Barack Obama, February 27 2008.'
Although McCain says he wants to close the physical facility at Guantanamo, he supports the deeply flawed military tribunals process:
' Senator John McCain, transforming a recent Supreme Court decision into a campaign issue yesterday, blasted the court's ruling,
which established that foreign terrorism suspects held in detention at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay have the constitutional right to challenge their detention in civilian courts. "The United States Supreme Court yesterday rendered a decision which I think is one of the worst decisions in the history of this country," McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said . . .'
-June 14, 2008
posted by Juan Cole @ 10/13/2008 02:38:00 PM
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5 Comments:
This difference in their stances regarding the cesspool known as Gitmo reveals an essential difference in their characters.
Obama is all about due process which is what one would expect from a former law professor. Proper procedure yields healthy positions on a wide range of issues, from Rumsfeld's Gitmo, Bush's misguided campaign to overthrow Saddam Hussein and Cheney's universal disregard for all laws and customs which define the U.S., to not yet matured crises such as global climate change, peak oil and now, the self induces credit crunch. Obama employs sound principles and reaches conclusions which have utility, but are not always palatable to the pseudo-Christian Right.
John Paln McCain is all about positions that reap the support of self-avowed conservatives who conserve nothing and defenders of freedom who defend only laws which imperil freedom. His and their positions are predetermned for motives I do not and cannot respect.
Obama employs procedures to reach solutions to difficult problems. McCain adopts positions which are easy to adopt but yield burdens we cannot carry.
Our nation is composed of laws and founded upon principles. Barack Obama is well suited to lead. McCain would be president of an alien empire within our shores.
You should date the McCain statement just as you dated Obama's (June 14, 2008)
Yes, sure, Obama will close Guantanomo (even though NOT a base itself, which is a clear sign of USA colonialism and imperialism on Cuba's soil)
But what about OTHER USA's torture bases? Bagram? Or in Iraq?
Obama is better in window-dressing, but he is the same imperialist as McCain. If he knows SO much about law, what about his CRIMINAL promices to invide Pakistan?
John McCain is defined by his obsessive desire for revenge. He has never been able to cease filtering the problems of this planet through his need to re-enact Vietnam. I found it very sad and troubling when I read an interview with his mother, wherein she stated that McCain never talked about his experiences as a POW. While a person who has experienced torture will profit from getting on with their life, they still must process the trauma that has been inflicted upon them. It is harmful to suppress it, stuff it,or try to ignore it. This is the worst avenue to take with PTSD. The trauma will continue to repeat itself in unforseen ways, whether it is nightmares, episodes of rage, depression, substance abuse, or other dysfunctional behaviors. One of the best therapies is to have a compassionate, supportive listener. At any rate, John McCain continues to fight the Vietnam War; and to replay it in any of the current world conflagrations. He is determined to finally have his "victory"; and "punish" his oppressors. It comes as no suprise whatsoever, that he would oppose closing such a terrible facility as Gitmo. He says he opposes torture, but his actions do not support his words. Even prisoners of war must be treated fairly, have access to legal representation, and due process of law. To demand otherwise, is to negate all that the United States of America once stood for in the world arena. Under Bush/Cheney our image has been severely damaged;and our hypocrisy is total. If John McCain cannot see this, he should not be the President. He is too caught up in his inner turmoil to see clearly, too vengeful, and too angry. We do not need any more bullies, fanatics,extremists, or cowboys.We need a leader who has clear objectives, who realizes that terrorism is a world problem, and can promote policies that do not depend on Bomb, Bomb, Bombing.
Lawyers Criticize Quality of Guantanamo Interpreters - Fairness of September 11 Trials Said to Be Undermined
As five key defendants charged in the September 11 attacks - including self-described mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed - move toward a trial by jury, defense lawyers and human rights advocates charge that the fairness of the most significant proceeding at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is routinely undermined by incompetent interpretation.
"Regular omissions, or mistranslations of key words or phrases often led to disjointed, incomprehensible or misleading translations into both English and Arabic," Hawsawi's attorneys wrote in a draft document supporting a motion they filed asking to halt the case until qualified interpreters are hired. The lawyers asked the court to order the government to produce an Arabic transcript of each hearing - a motion military prosecutors are resisting.
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