Democracy is being challenged by the cloak of “Best interest of the United States”. Two alarming episodes playing out are the continual detaining of suspected terrorist and the message sent by Vice President Joe Biden. Granted the unending detaining of suspected terrorist subjects has been policy since 9-11, the thought that “change” was coming gave a glimmer of hope that America’s United States Constitution may regain its importance.
The President while campaigning for office set forth the notion of closing Gitmo detention center and to deal with those detained. The presumption was that all those housed in the facility would face trial and depending on the outcome would be either released or retained per court ruling. During the past week, President Obama and former Vice President Cheney have traded barbs on the issue of closing Gitmo and CIA memo results. Congress stripped out $80M that was to fund the closing of Gitmo due to no clear plan by the White House.
After the dueling speeches by Obama and Cheney, surrogates on all sides have laid out the plans going forward. One of the moves indicates that some detainees will be held “indefinitely” because they pose a threat to the United States even though proof, in the court of law, does not agree. The US Constitution protects the liberties of people accused of crimes from unnecessary punishment and a right to a speedy trial. Set aside the point that Bush has done the same thing as America voted for “change” in the last election cycle.
President Obama has proved, i.e. firing of CEO’s, that the US Constitution is a piece of paper worthy of nothing. It should not shock anyone that part of the plan for Gitmo detainees is to remand them indefinitely. The other affront to Democracy is being done through the message Vice President Biden is sent the Lebanon.
On Friday, Vice President Biden landed in Lebanon to carry the message that future US Aid to Lebanon hinged on the outcome of upcoming “Democratic” elections. Vice President Biden stated after a meeting with President Suleiman, “I do not come here to back any particular party or any particular person. I come here to back certain principles.” The United States has labeled Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
Hezbollah has made inroads in recent elections by becoming an emerging force in the “Democratic” process. Hezbollah response to Vice President Biden’s statements is one of caution and “strong suspicion as to the real reason behind it”. Good or bad, if we are to stay true to our ideals of Democracy then the Obama Administration is not to dangle US Aid in front of the Lebonanese people in an effort to sway their vote.
Continuing the platform of “change” will lead America down the road of ruin and forever alter our liberties and pursuit of happiness within our own borders.
Showing posts with label Gitmo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gitmo. Show all posts
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
$80M Gitmo Closure debate
Both President Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney spoke today on the issue of torture and Gitmo closing. President Obama still plans to close Gitmo within 1 year while “ordering a review the cases of all detainees at [Gitmo]”. According to President Obama there are 240 detainees currently being housed at Gitmo. Just this week, Congress striped out the money required by President Obama to close Gitmo because the plan lacked clarity.
Many in Congress fear that detainees will be relocated into their districts. This makes me laugh since many of these same Congressmen, and women, are demanding and applauding President Obama’s decision to close Gitmo. Yet, their vote of offers a different opinion on their support of the President’s plan to close Gitmo. During President Obama’s speech today, he alluded to the creation of a new facility to house those deemed “to dangerous” to be placed in current high security prisons. Why?
Why spend more money on a new facility? Gitmo is the state of the art. The concept is a waste of money and will not lessen the stigma of Gitmo. The move is similar to his promise to bring troops home from Iraq only to send them to Afghanistan or Pakistan. It’s a shell game. Americans wake up and see what is going on here.
Vice President Cheney, although not as eloquent, hit back hard at the accusations made by the current administration. The terrorist that were captured are not “prisoner of war” as President Obama claims. They are terrorist. That simply fact is the basis of the legal rendering made by President Bush’s legal team. As a terrorist they are not covered by the Geneva Convention.
The President has the right to declassify any CIA document. What is being suppressed or covered up by not releasing the CIA memos that former Vice President Cheney says justifies the use of EIT’s on the three detainee’s post 9-11. As former Vice President Cheney alluded to, the EIT’s were only used on three detainees and only after all other methods were exhausted.
In watching the MSNBC reaction to both speeches was entertaining because Chris Matthews and his group are so in the pocket of President Obama. Pat Buchanan is the token conservative in the ocean of liberals. It was entertaining on how Matthews lobbed up softballs to the other liberal commentators and avoiding Buchanan. Hardball has gone soft.
The issue moving forward is no longer the definition of torture. The move forward is what to do with the detainees after Gitmo is closed. As an American taxpayer, I do not want to pay for a new facility when Gitmo serves the exact purpose a new facility will perform. It is a flat waste of money and with future Americans being taxed with a multi-trillion dollar deficit.
“To rule out future use of enhanced integration techniques,” according the former Vice President Cheney will only “weaken” our security. I agree with that. EIT’s should not be the first method of extracting information but it should be an option.
Many in Congress fear that detainees will be relocated into their districts. This makes me laugh since many of these same Congressmen, and women, are demanding and applauding President Obama’s decision to close Gitmo. Yet, their vote of offers a different opinion on their support of the President’s plan to close Gitmo. During President Obama’s speech today, he alluded to the creation of a new facility to house those deemed “to dangerous” to be placed in current high security prisons. Why?
Why spend more money on a new facility? Gitmo is the state of the art. The concept is a waste of money and will not lessen the stigma of Gitmo. The move is similar to his promise to bring troops home from Iraq only to send them to Afghanistan or Pakistan. It’s a shell game. Americans wake up and see what is going on here.
Vice President Cheney, although not as eloquent, hit back hard at the accusations made by the current administration. The terrorist that were captured are not “prisoner of war” as President Obama claims. They are terrorist. That simply fact is the basis of the legal rendering made by President Bush’s legal team. As a terrorist they are not covered by the Geneva Convention.
The President has the right to declassify any CIA document. What is being suppressed or covered up by not releasing the CIA memos that former Vice President Cheney says justifies the use of EIT’s on the three detainee’s post 9-11. As former Vice President Cheney alluded to, the EIT’s were only used on three detainees and only after all other methods were exhausted.
In watching the MSNBC reaction to both speeches was entertaining because Chris Matthews and his group are so in the pocket of President Obama. Pat Buchanan is the token conservative in the ocean of liberals. It was entertaining on how Matthews lobbed up softballs to the other liberal commentators and avoiding Buchanan. Hardball has gone soft.
The issue moving forward is no longer the definition of torture. The move forward is what to do with the detainees after Gitmo is closed. As an American taxpayer, I do not want to pay for a new facility when Gitmo serves the exact purpose a new facility will perform. It is a flat waste of money and with future Americans being taxed with a multi-trillion dollar deficit.
“To rule out future use of enhanced integration techniques,” according the former Vice President Cheney will only “weaken” our security. I agree with that. EIT’s should not be the first method of extracting information but it should be an option.
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