General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIs there anyone who is pro-Snowden and against the Bergdahl prisoner exchange?
Besides Greenwald?
onecaliberal
(32,484 posts)What the hell is that about? Talk about Schizophrenic.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)he states he is against the exchange. Or would you prefer to believe the dishonest OP?
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/06/03/excuse-remains-obamas-failure-close-gitmo/
onecaliberal
(32,484 posts)With him and he did say we shouldn't have let the prisoners go.
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)He prevaricates more than any other journalist out there. He tweeted that they shouldn't be in gitmo in the first place. He can't say "I'm glad they were let go" because that would break the narrative and mean he is saying something positive about the government, which is rare.
onecaliberal
(32,484 posts)He did say that.
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)Because of his writing and speaking style there's a lot of room for interpretation. That's what gets him clicks.
onecaliberal
(32,484 posts)But I am also no fan of the NSA collecting and listening to everything we do either. The non stop bashing is completely pathetic.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)trial.
You just prevaricated.
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)Never.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)detention? There is a man, cleared for release, who has a family in England, his wife is a British national, who was swept up and sold for a $5000 bounty and has been cleared for release. He wants to go home to his family in England. England will not except.
Cleared. Wants to go home. Not allowed.
He is now on a hunger strike and being force fed (which, by the way, is considered torture).
These are THE HUMAN BEINGS THAT GREENWALD HAS ADVOCATED FOR MANY YEARS.
Obama didn't release those prisoners but it is the right thing to do.
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)If not what can Obama do? Send in troops to the UK, fly the guy in, and then have him put under US occupying forces guard indefinitely?
"England will not except." You meant "accept"?
Obama should get credit for releasing these 5 guys, Greenwald prevaricates by not saying "hey, I'm glad they we released." I mean, it's so damn simple.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Cleared of being a terrorist, unable to return to the love of his family, he has chosen death. And he has been barred from even that dignity and is now being tortured with force feeding.
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)joshcryer
(62,265 posts)Did he absolve Obama because Obama isn't a magical dictator who can magically make the UK accept this guy?
muriel_volestrangler
(101,153 posts)Aamer's mental and physical health has been declining over the years, as he has participated in hunger strikes to protest detention condition and been held in solitary confinement much of the time. He claims to have lost 40 per cent of his body weight in captivity but did not disclose his actual weight.[15][16][17] After a visit in November 2011, his lawyer said, "I do not think it is stretching matters to say that he is gradually dying in Guantanamo Bay."[18] The UK government has been demanding his release for years, and many people there have repeatedly called for his release.[6][7]
...
The United Kingdom government initially refused to intervene on the behalf of Guantánamo detainees who were legal British residents without being British citizens. In August 2007, Foreign Secretary David Miliband requested the release of Aamer and four other men, based on their having been granted refugee status, or similar leave, to remain in Britain as residents prior to their capture by US forces.[21][37][52][53] With the repatriation of Binyam Mohammed in February 2009, all British citizens and residents other than Aamer have been released. [54][55][56]
The UK government officials have repeatedly raised Aamer's case with the Americans. On a visit to the United States on 13 March 2009, when asked about Guantánamo captives, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said that the U.S. administration has said they do not want to return Aamer to the U.K. William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, raised Aamer's case again with Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, in November 2010,[57] followed by meetings with other United States officials. At the time, the US government had reached settlement with former detainees as a resolution for damages due to the use of torture in interrogation.[57]
In September 2011, Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said that the negotiations are ongoing and confidential.[58] Supporters of Aamer have criticized the UK government for not doing enough on his behalf; they urged the government to step up their efforts.[13] In January 2012, The Independent revealed that the British government has spent £274,345 fighting in court to prevent Aamer's lawyers from gaining access to evidence which may prove his innocence.[15] The newspaper reported that Aamer has several serious medical complaints from years of "inhumane" detention conditions, and that the UK gave false hope to his family.[38]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaker_Aamer
redgreenandblue
(2,088 posts)The case for Greenwald being a malicious Obama-hater just got weaker.
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)I wasn't alleging he was an Obama hater, that is silly. He's a prevaricating click-bait journalist saying whatever fucking shit that's controversial.
I know he is probably glad those guys were released, but he can't say it.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Every single thing he has ever written about GitMo is that they should be allowed to secure their freedom.
Every single thing.
In fact, western Muslims have remarked to him that it is ironic that a gay American is the most fierce advocate for releasing Islamic imprisoned fundamentalist.
He has done nothing but advocate for their release.
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)Without using it to prop up some other argument?
Something as simple as "I'm glad they were released."
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Nobody here focuses on the continued torture of indefinate detention and force feedings. Geeneald does He champions the human and civil rights of Arab Americans and Arabs.
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)What would it hurt?
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Versus the President of the United States.
Who needs mad props?
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)Rather than cynicism and hatefulness for imperfection?
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Holy hell. That is torture. You grossly underestimate the anger that GitMo prisoners activists have for their continued torture.
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)I'm sorry this doesn't mesh but that's the reality.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)joshcryer
(62,265 posts)Hello?
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)not a justification. A human being. With a loving family. Cleared of being a terrorist. Not allowed to go home. Has chosen death.
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)Link? This sounds like it won't go well at all.
The UK is complicit, no doubt. Don't see how it's Obama's fault when he's clearly made many efforts to close down gitmo.
Cha
(295,907 posts)circumstances to make it happen right freaking Now.
Too bad about those who want everything to appear "Magically".. it ain't gonna happen. They can whine all they want but that's not reality.
joshcryer
(62,265 posts)Of course if that release ever happens due to some diplomatic leveraging, I'm sure that Obama won't get one iota of credit.
Maedhros
(10,007 posts)Link, or it didn't happen.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)Also, trying to get these young men tried for treason, on television, when guys like Bush, Cheney, North et al are running around free, getting richer and dumping on the poor soldier POW and his family is especially heinous.
Those whistleblowers aren't responsible for the deaths of millions around the world and at home.
Uncle Joe
(58,112 posts)P.S. I would also appreciate it if the federal government would legalize cannabis.
ananda
(28,783 posts)We need information outers, and we need to bring all our guys home.
tridim
(45,358 posts)grasswire
(50,130 posts)I must have missed that.
I thought his argument was that Obama could have released prisoners and closed Gitmo on his own order, without Congressional approval.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)In fact, he has been advocating for years that ALL the prisoners in GitMo either be given a fair trial or be released.
Cha
(295,907 posts)as he fucking puts it. Greenwald: "Obama and his loyalists.. "
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)However, I am not going to play.
eridani
(51,907 posts)Some have said that if you can get rid of five, why not all, but that's an entirely different matte.
okaawhatever
(9,453 posts)deals with countries for a bit now to get them to take some of these prisoners. There were close to 100 whose birth country wouldn't take them back. I know Uruguay signed up to take a prisoner or two a few months back. I think that took some arm twisting. The country didn't want the guys there.
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)There is no logical reason to connect the two except to promote a particular point of view and stir shit.