Obama lied, promising the infamous
torture prison’s closure during his first year in office. The vast
majority of its detainees committed no crimes. Claims otherwise were
fabricated.
According to The New York Times, a draft executive order it obtained
dropped earlier language relating to reopening CIA black sites.
It “kep(t) language that would direct the Pentagon to bring future
Islamic State detainees to the wartime prison at Guantanamo Bay
Cuba,” permitting them to be held at “other facilities.”
America created the terrorist group, actively supports it. Trump
said he wants to smash it. Whether rhetoric becomes policy remains
to be seen.
The latest version of his draft EO calls for using Guantanamo to
imprison suspected members of “Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated
forces, including individuals and networks associated with the
Islamic State.”
It omits mention of likeminded groups, no explanation, of course,
about America using terrorists as imperial foot soldiers.
Trump vowed to keep Guantanamo open, expand it, and “load it up with
some bad dudes.”
The infamous facility operates illegally, victims brutalized, denied
habeas rights, due process and judicial fairness, pronounced guilty
by accusation.
Fidel Castro demanded the return of Guantanamo. So does brother
Raul. When Obama announced restoration of diplomatic relations in
December 2014, a statement by Cuba’s government said “(t)o achieve
normalization, it will be essential also that the territory
illegally occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base is returned” to its
rightful owner.
It’s 45 square miles of Cuban occupied territory. In 1903, it was
leased as a coaling and naval station. Now it symbolizes US contempt
for humanity.
Since Gitmo detainees first arrived in January 2002, most were
transferred to other countries, their fate unknown in most cases, 41
remain. At least nine died from torture or were otherwise murdered.
Human rights attorney Shelby Sullivan-Bennis calls Guantanamo “a
national security disaster…a toxic policy.” Its operations
flagrantly violate international and constitutional law.
Bush/Cheney and Obama institutionalized indefinite detention without
charges or trial. Trump apparently intends continuing their policies
- ignoring rule of law principles.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in
Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the
Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.
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