Spring Break
Our View: Gitmo closure a good start
Madeline Novey
Issue date: 1/23/09 Section: Opinion
Chalk another one up for human rights in the U.S.
Just two days after formally taking office, President Barack Obama made good on one of his campaign promises Thursday and signed an executive order to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within one year.
And really, it's about time.
Since the base was opened to enemy combatants and other terror suspects following the Sept. 11 attacks, the island prison has been a glaring example of the hypocrisy of Bush's policies in the U.S.
Allegations of the mistreatment of detainees, including the use of harsh interrogation techniques -- including waterboarding -- to gather information from potential terror suspects.
Of course, this was nothing compared to the greater injustice faced by prisoners of Guantanamo: The fact that they could be held indefinitely without formal charges until the U.S. government chose to release them or grant them a military trial.
What's less American than that?
Thankfully, in June, things began to change.
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that terror suspects, previously stripped of all rights, did indeed have the right to habeas corpus -- that is, the right to protest their detention.
Soon after, Obama announced his intention to close the prison camp altogether, and to grant detainees trials in civilian court while still on the campaign -- a promise he made good on today.
We applaud Obama for taking this step in defense of human rights in America. It's about time somebody stood by the principles of this nation.
Hopefully, it'll last.
Just two days after formally taking office, President Barack Obama made good on one of his campaign promises Thursday and signed an executive order to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within one year.
And really, it's about time.
Since the base was opened to enemy combatants and other terror suspects following the Sept. 11 attacks, the island prison has been a glaring example of the hypocrisy of Bush's policies in the U.S.
Allegations of the mistreatment of detainees, including the use of harsh interrogation techniques -- including waterboarding -- to gather information from potential terror suspects.
Of course, this was nothing compared to the greater injustice faced by prisoners of Guantanamo: The fact that they could be held indefinitely without formal charges until the U.S. government chose to release them or grant them a military trial.
What's less American than that?
Thankfully, in June, things began to change.
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that terror suspects, previously stripped of all rights, did indeed have the right to habeas corpus -- that is, the right to protest their detention.
Soon after, Obama announced his intention to close the prison camp altogether, and to grant detainees trials in civilian court while still on the campaign -- a promise he made good on today.
We applaud Obama for taking this step in defense of human rights in America. It's about time somebody stood by the principles of this nation.
Hopefully, it'll last.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 27
zeb smeester
posted 1/23/09 @ 7:50 AM MST
What exactly do you mean by "the island prison has been a galring example of the hypocrysy of Bush's policies in the U.S."? Bush has been pretty up front with "harsh" interrogation tequniques; he has admitted we use them and has even said who we have used them on. (Continued…)
Peace Love
posted 1/23/09 @ 7:06 PM MST
I'm so proud of Obama and you guys for supporting his decision.
It's about time we treated these terrorists, excuse me, "insurgents", as affectionately as they treated our fellow citizens. (Continued…)
CSU Infidel
posted 1/23/09 @ 9:45 PM MST
Maybe we can call the state department and see if we can get all those poor misunderstood soles to come and live hear at CSU and get a free education for all the trouble we have caused them. (Continued…)
John Thomas
posted 1/24/09 @ 2:35 AM MST
Sweet. Lets release a bunch of terrorists... now that they are free, we can all live a safe life. Oh, but what about that last guy who is now the leader of Al Q Yemen?
They are not US citizens, and are not worthy of protection by our constitution. (Continued…)
Registered Independent
posted 1/24/09 @ 6:35 PM MST
One hopes that the editorial board will follow through with the logic of this "thought-provoking" article.
Clearly the editorial writers should already be lobbying our new President to have the Guantanamo "bad actors" held for trial right in Fort Collins. (Continued…)
CSU Infidel
posted 1/25/09 @ 6:05 PM MST
WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Two men released from the US "war on terror" prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba have appeared in a video posted on a jihadist website, the SITE monitoring service reported. (Continued…)
Arvensis
posted 1/25/09 @ 7:29 PM MST
You idiots may be applauding Obama for his defense of human rights in America now, but just wait- you will soon be stripped of yours. You will follow this manipulative pawn down his deceitful path so far, by the time you realize you are f##### you won't know what to do; it will be too late. (Continued…)
CSU Alum
posted 1/25/09 @ 9:03 PM MST
Well I guess he made a stride in protecting the "human rights" of killers but he more then made up for this by overturning the ban on US taxpayer money to fund international abortions. (Continued…)
Craig Hawley
posted 1/25/09 @ 10:26 PM MST
Nice to see ya again Reg Indy. Of course Obama is making mistakes. He was never qualified for this position in the first place and is inexperienced. (Continued…)
The Pentagon's War on the Internet
posted 1/26/09 @ 9:15 AM MST
"If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all." -- Noam Chomsky
On the surface, it would seem that we are destined to tolerate and consume the partisan postings of Californians like Registered Independent and Craig Hawley, as they bang the drums for Guantanamo (and "Christian" torture), for Israel, for Bush policies, . (Continued…)
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