US to release 140 detainees from Guantanamo: report

The United States plans to release 140 detainees from its naval base in Cuba, where captured al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters from 42 countries have been kept in secret, a US news magazine reported.

A US military official told Time Magazine that the detainees slated for release are "the easiest 20 percent" of the estimated 660 people kept at Guantanamo Bay, which the United States has leased from Cuba since 1903.

US officials said that some of the detainees had been captured by Afghan warlords and sold for the bounty offered by Washington for al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters.

"Many would not have been detained under the normal rules of engagement," the source told the weekly.

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http://sg.news.yahoo.com/031130/1/3gbje.html

I yi yi.

US officials said that some of the detainees had been captured by Afghan warlords and sold for the bounty offered by Washington for al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters.


WTF does that mean? Does that mean that some of the detainees were just ransomed "kidnapees"?

Don't we have laws against this?

all US courts so far have said that no US law applies in Guantanamo - Supreme Court is going to consider this. Until then, the USA claims it can do what it damn well likes there.

If the US ever felt like prosecuting its own military for war crimes, or crimes against humanity, something might apply; or if anyone in charge at Guantanamo was caught outside the US, they might be sent to the ICC. But any country trying that would get a serious load of shit from America. And to be fair, the ICC doesn't usually deal with kidnapping; it still has plenty of mass murder charges to get through first.