Attorneys for Guantánamo captives back Obama’s bid
More than 80 attorneys for war-on-terrorism prisoners being held by the U.S. in Cuba said `we are at a critical point in the presidential campaign.’
Miami Herald
WASHINGTON
More than 80 attorneys who have been offering free-of-charge legal services to Guantánamo detainees issued a statement Monday supporting Democrat Barack Obama’s presidential bid.
”We are at a critical point in the presidential campaign, and as lawyers who have been deeply involved in the Guantánamo litigation to preserve the important right to habeas corpus, we are writing to urge you to support Senator Obama,” the lawyers said in an open letter dated Monday.
Lawyers signing it included partners from major U.S. law firms and small-town practitioners as well as Michael Ratner, whose New York Center for Constitutional Rights has for years coordinated legal efforts to provide representation to each of the men held without charge at the offshore prison compound in southeast Cuba.
In 2006, Congress stripped the Guantánamo captives of the traditional right to file writs of habeas corpus in U.S. district court to challenge their detention — and instead offered detainees more limited appeals in federal courts.
The U.S. Supreme Court is now reviewing the constitutionality of that law.
Guantánamo has not been a major theme of the presidential campaign, but mainstream candidates on both sides — notably former Vietnam POW John McCain, the Republican senator — have said they would move to close the prison camps because they have stirred anti-American anger across the globe.
Obama has gone further than many. In a November, he pledged to both close the prison camps and ”restore habeas corpus,” a position that Democratic rival John Edwards has also staked out.
Hillary Clinton, likewise, has said from the U.S. Senate that she favors closure. But she has not prominently included pledges to do it in her campaign speeches.
Republican candidate Mitt Romney, in contrast, has advocated doubling the detention center — which today holds about 275 foreign men as enemy combatants and cell space for more than 1,500.
The Pentagon calls the war-on-terrorism compound a post-9/11 necessity and says captives there are held humanely, many of whom can go before military boards to argue they are no threat to the United States and should be set free.
Wild Thing’s comment……..
I posted this video before, but I have to wonder why they are not backing McCain since he also wants to close GITMO and bring the terrosts back to our country. Hmmmmmm Maybe it is the Moslem thing in Obama’s past, who knows.
Why close it? Why bring them to my backyard so some pantywaste, liberal weenie judge will let them off so they can run amuck all over the place?
No. Closing it is a bad idea.
Remember, there are Americans working there, too. These terrorists have the best medical care, food and entertainment they’ve ever had and we want to bring them here?
What are you going to do with them? Our prisons are already overcrowded. Do something like in the movie Fortress with Christopher Lambert? Have them dig through the earth as punishment?
Come on, why isn’t anyone using their thinking caps? It’s that lump about 3 feet above their butts!
I heard today that some Yeahoo voted for Obama to make sure Hillary never got to set foot in the white House.
I would say of the three leaders: Hillary, McCain and Obama and their progression to the left would be in this order. Hillary being the most conservative of all.
OMG, what a choice, What ever happened to that guy, what was his name… Oh yeah, Mr. None of the Above.
Regardless of how this whole thing eventually shakes out we are on the fast track to socialism.
Lawyers are the greatest impediment to freedom and capitalism.
Is there any doubt that the Hussein part of Barak Obama is muhammedan?
John McClinton again, expressing the liberals’ projected egomania by worrying about what the world thinks of us.
Today John McClinton flipped his delegates to Huckabee in West Virgina, proving once again that he’ll sell whatever honor he acquired in Hanoi for the brass ring of power. He doesn’t seem to worry what conservative Americans think of him, does he?
If any President closes Gitmo and brings the terrorists on mainland U.S. soil it should be a Democrat. This will surely blowup in the President’s face and McCain as President would be a perfect excuse to blame it on the Republicans.
Lynn LOL that was good. I agree!
Mark, I think so too. Socialism is just around the corner breathing down our necks.
Tom they sure are, gosh they mess with everything then we are stuck we a mess, or a criminal out on the streets, or liberal laws passed so many things.
Jack might be. OH God help us from that guy.
Rhod, good point, that is just what he did back then too. grrrrrr
Les I think so too. The problems that would come from this are immense, plus the cost of our tax dollars too for court costs as they try to get each prisoner off. sheesh
Pampers can’t even cover Senator Q-Tips ears! Holy Shiite Batman… Wait until the Shia hits the fan Robin! – Al Qaeda For Obama 2008 !