President Obama Mulling Preventative Detention

[Conan71]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/us/politics/21obama.html?hp

Hmm, wasn't this an issue that was going to come with change?

Sounds like the Obama admin is finding out the reality behind terrorism and how much different this war is than any other we've faced.

And he says he's going to go ahead and close Gitmo even though that's been voted down by Congress.  Who made this guy king?

[Gaspar]

Politics and policy are two different things. 

Unicorns and leprechauns.

They typically don't travel on the same roads.

[tim huntzinger]

Preventative? Is that the same as preventive? Ha!

All the O has to do is release the Gitmo prisoners beyond the fence onto Cuban soil, and then we can invade Cuba because it is harboring terrorists!

[FOTD]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/us/politics/21obama.html?hp

Hmm, wasn't this an issue that was going to come with change?

Sounds like the Obama admin is finding out the reality behind terrorism and how much different this war is than any other we've faced.

And he says he's going to go ahead and close Gitmo even though that's been voted down by Congress.  Who made this guy king?

You'll be loving him if this keeps up, Connie.

Wasn't Lincoln a Republican? Isn't Lincoln POTUS Obamas' political gawd?

He's reaching out to form a new coalition of mediocre middle of the muddy road change....and wants to retain the fear card. Rightfully so after those turds were caught today in NY ready to blow up a Synagouge.

Coming out of my Hopenosis.....

[Conan71]

You'll be loving him if this keeps up, Connie.

Wasn't Lincoln a Republican? Isn't Lincoln POTUS Obamas' political gawd?

He's reaching out to form a new coalition of mediocre middle of the muddy road change....and wants to retain the fear card. Rightfully so after those turds were caught today in NY ready to blow up a Synagouge.

Coming out of my Hopenosis.....

[Gaspar]

[Gaspar]

[Conan71]

[nathanm]

He's reaching out to form a new coalition of mediocre middle of the muddy road change....and wants to retain the fear card. Rightfully so after those turds were caught today in NY ready to blow up a Synagouge.

Gee. What I read in the NYT last night was that they had been encouraged by the police. I was reading it on my phone, so maybe I got the wrong impression.

[guido911]

Indefinite detention in store for some at Gitmo. Gee, didn't Obama excoriate Bush over this?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_guantanamo_detainees

[we vs us]

Indefinite detention in store for some at Gitmo. Gee, didn't Obama excoriate Bush over this?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_guantanamo_detainees

Well, it ain't a done deal yet, so let's not get our panties entirely twisted in knots. 

Two thoughts: 

1) The Bush administration has limited Obama's ability to try the HVTs in Guantanamo and elsewhere with the enhanced interrogation techniques they used.  Torture or not, in open court it would almost certainly amount to coercion, and there's an excellent chance that whatever evidence was collected would be inadmissable.  So if a trial will probably result in acquittal, you're limited to indefinite detention or  . . . what?  Exile, like the Uighurs?  Handing the HVTs back to their home countries?  Trial regardless of the risk?  Point here is, the Bush admin has really limited O's options.

That said: 

2) Obama is wrong to do this.  I understand the reasoning but I think it is flawed, and shameful.  We should try every detainee and abide by the verdicts produced.  We free the innocent, incarcerate the guilty, and not so subtly use our intelligence services to verify the continued innocence of those released.  Not doing this runs completely counter to our ideals, ideals which we seem to want the President to more solidly sell to the Iranian protesters. 

I didn't like this when Bush did it and I like it even less when Obama wants to do it.  It's flat wrong.

[guido911]

Well, it ain't a done deal yet, so let's not get our panties entirely twisted in knots. 

Two thoughts: 

1) The Bush administration has limited Obama's ability to try the HVTs in Guantanamo and elsewhere with the enhanced interrogation techniques they used.  Torture or not, in open court it would almost certainly amount to coercion, and there's an excellent chance that whatever evidence was collected would be inadmissable.  So if a trial will probably result in acquittal, you're limited to indefinite detention or  . . . what?  Exile, like the Uighurs?  Handing the HVTs back to their home countries?  Trial regardless of the risk?  Point here is, the Bush admin has really limited O's options.

That said: 

2) Obama is wrong to do this.  I understand the reasoning but I think it is flawed, and shameful.  We should try every detainee and abide by the verdicts produced.  We free the innocent, incarcerate the guilty, and not so subtly use our intelligence services to verify the continued innocence of those released.  Not doing this runs completely counter to our ideals, ideals which we seem to want the President to more solidly sell to the Iranian protesters. 

I didn't like this when Bush did it and I like it even less when Obama wants to do it.  It's flat wrong.

Got it. Bush's fault. Nothing more to see here.

[Hoss]

Got it. Bush's fault. Nothing more to see here.

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck....

[we vs us]

Got it. Bush's fault. Nothing more to see here.

You don't agree?  I'd think you'd be able to see, as an attorney, how difficult mounting a prosecution of one of these people would be.  And it didn't have to be.

But you're being disingenuous.  The other half of my post was about how Obama is also culpable if he chooses to go forward with indefinite detention.  It would make two cowardly administrations in a row, and that's where the real shame lies.

[FOTD]

Indefinite detention in store for some at Gitmo. Gee, didn't Obama excoriate Bush over this?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_guantanamo_detainees

Gwee Doe Doe is your typical rigid pre-judgemental neo con.

White House denies 'indefinite' detention report

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/06/27/white-house-denies-indefinite-detention-report/

"An administration official told AFP that no such draft order existed, though internal deliberations were taking place on how to deal with those inmates who could not be released or tried in civilian courts."



Disinformation?  Could Obama insiders be sending a trial balloon or attempting to shoot down a possible policy change? Inquiring minds want to know.