Most Americans against closing Guantanamo: poll

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Two of every three Americans are opposed to closing Guantanamo, with an even higher percentage against moving some of the detainees from the "war on terror" prison to their own US states, poll results showed Tuesday.

When asked if the United States should shutter the notorious facility and move some of the accused terrorists to US prisons, 65 percent of Americans polled said no, with just 32 percent saying yes, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll published in the newspaper.

The ratio jumped to three to one against when respondents were asked whether they would support moving the detainees to the respondents' home states, the poll said.

The findings spotlight the difficulties facing President Barack Obama as he tries to convince Americans that he should honor his campaign pledge to close the world's most controversial prison, at the US naval base in southeastern Cuba where 240 detainees are still held.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090602/ts_alt_afp/usattacksguantanamo_20090602150930

No longer the "Home of the Brave".

Darnit, we'll have to change the national anthem to something that includes "we fear all that we do not understand", or words to that effect!

if it doesn't show up on American Idol.

I mean, before I heard the Repukes talking, I thought that all the evil doers housed in our current prison system for murder and rape were locked away. However, the Repukes have convinced me that our current prison system is inadequate. I am fearful that, if convicted, the murderer of Dr Tiller will escape. I find it odd that the 'get tough on crime party' built up a system of prisons that just do not protect the communities.

;)

of some raggedy ass person living in a cave half way around the world, with zero resources. Hell they don't even own a mule, let alone a jet fighter.. No there are things America should be very frightened of and should put all available resources toward fighting but it sure ain't terrorism...Hell more people die every single day from tobacco related illness than died on 9-11.. America is a very foolish country..

http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/1586885,w-gates-gitmo-prison-close-052209.article

WASHINGTON--— "Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the Obama administration had no choice but to order the shutdown of the prison at Guantanamo because "the name itself is a condemnation" of U.S. anti-terrorism strategy.

In an interview broadcast Friday on NBC's "Today" show, Gates called the facility on the island of Cuba "probably one of the finest prisons in the world today." But at the same time, he said it had become "a taint" on the reputation of America.

Gates has served both President George W. Bush and now Barack Obama at the Pentagon. The secretary said that once the decision was made to close Guantanamo, "the question is, where do you put them." He said Obama would do nothing to endanger the public and said there has never been an escape from a "super-max" prison in this country."

I believe one major problem with the current prison system is the overcrowding created by the insanity of the so called "War Against Drugs" exploding the population; giving us the world record here in "The land of the free" with well over two millions prisoners; a large percentage being non-violent drug users, but I have no doubt the prisoners from Guantanamo would be housed in the "super-max prisons" of which Secretary of Defense Gates referred to.

they would be locked in the Mayberry County Jail with Otis the Drunk, and good ol' Barney Fife standing guard.

If you were paying attention, you would realize that you have far more to fear from cops, the private prison industry, and your government, than from all these bogeymen you fear. When I read something like this on a supposedly liberal board I can see why this country is screwed. We live in a sea of wimps and followers. If there was anywhere better to go, I'd leave this country.

reminds me of the german people.."but but we need auschwitz!"
this is why the TORTURE photos need to be rubbed into their FACES.

but most Americans are fucking idiots, and that fact is reinforced by their selection of politicians in this "representative democracy" of ours.

So it's OK for most Americans - and I bet it is - that we can detain these individuals without trial.
We can hold these people, according to this poll, - many under dubious claims - based on the fact that they are all 9/11 hijackers, or would be if they had the chance.
I bet they would at this point, but that doesn't - or shouldn't - trump due process (or what's left of it in the U.S.).
Look, most of our fellow citizens have long since traded their rights for false security. We see it everyday at the airports.
It's "patriotic" to be a wuss.

So?

How many times have they been busted for over-poling Republicans?

" #1 Of note, a couple of years ago, Gallups CEO was interviewed for one or another of the talking head shows. He was asked about the importance of Gallup as a business. He responded by saying "we do God's work" or something that meant exactly thaT


The Reich as control of most MSM. Think they got control of most MSM and somehow forgot to get control of the Polls? Really?

A CBS/NY Times Poll for Apr. 22-26 asked pretty much the same question. Should we close Guantanamo or continue to operate it. In this poll, 44% said to close the prison, while 47% said to continue operating. That's quite a difference between the 65%/32% Gallup is using.

The CBS poll asked 973 people nationwide.

Either way, both these polls are totally bogus and random and signify nothing. They are nothing more than propaganda. Probably interviewing the same old Conservative fools over and over again.

And who in the hell would believe anything that comes from Gallup

right on schedule too... how convenient.

'nuff said.

Remember the question by the Euorpean press after the re-election of

Bush for a second term?

Were we idiots or do we have elections steals?

Do we have true polls or do we have r-w propaganda?

I stopped believing this poll back when they kept giving Bush such high numbers.
I believe American prisons can hold these people if they are found guilty. Its a slap in the face to our judicial system to say otherwise.
I believe American courts should try these people now and lets see if they even deserve to be in prison first.
To ask the Military to do the trials is a slap in the face to justice as well..its like asking the fox to guard the hen house.

who are part of the power elite within both the Pentagon and Wall Street.

Remember the atrocities during the Fallujah attack? No? Didn't think so.




http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1983

The Los Angeles Times revealed this week (12/1/04) that the U.S. military lied to CNN in the course of executing psychological warfare operations , or PSYOPS, in advance of the recent attack on Fallujah. This incident raises serious questions about government disinformation and journalistic credibility, but recent discussions of the government's propaganda plans have excluded some valuable context.

In an October 14 on-air interview, Marine Lt. Lyle Gilbert told CNN Pentagon reporter Jamie McIntyre that a U.S. military assault on Fallujah had begun. In fact, the offensive would not actually begin for another three weeks. The goal of the psychological operation, according to the Times , was to deceive Iraqi insurgents into revealing what they would do in the event of an actual offensive.

This operation raises obvious questions about the government's use of media to broadcast disinformation at home and abroad-- not to mention questions about journalistic gullibility and reluctance to question official claims . But the CNN story has received little pick-up so far from other news outlets-- and when it is covered, it's treated like an isolated episode, even though recent history shows that U.S. government plans to deceive journalists and the public are widespread and systematic, not aberrational.

Shortly before the launch of the "war on terror," an unnamed Pentagon war planner seemed to warn journalists everywhere when he told Washington Post reporter Howard Kurtz: "This is the most information-intensive war you can imagine... We're going to lie about things." (9/24/01)

The people are being misled. The people who bought homes in counties of states that have prisons ALL over the U.S., as we have more prisons and prisoners than any other country, by the way, KNEW the prisons were there when they made the decision to buy. And I'll bet they forget it's even there 99.9% of the time. And if I'm not mistaken, ALL known serial killers were WHITE...ALL WHITE MEN and one WHITE woman. It is the usual media hype and right wing bullshit implementing the fear factor to scare people. If you want to be afraid of some wingnuts, it should be the WHITE wingnuts you are afraid of. If nobody mentioned it, you'd never have known because they will be secured the same way our dangerous criminals are secured. And they're smaller in size, so won't be as difficult to handle as some of our big brutes. The "Party of NO" is trying to make it sound like Al Quada will be shopping at the local Walmart every Sunday. The GOP consists of many assholes that could care less about any body's peace of mind, especially. They take great joy in keeping people upset. Matter of fact, the members that have "special interests" in the prison system and it's cheap labor pool, will be welcoming them out of the other side of their mouths, pocketbooks open. CLOSE GITMO ASAP!

Americans seem dumb to me.

I think there is a lot of fear. We have been told that the Gitmo inmates are the "worst of the worst".

They're getting closed down and laid off anyway.

Republicans have been hammering about how these terrorists would be "released to your communities".

To you and me it envisons shopping at the local Wal-Mart with these released terrorists. That is not an option that will ever be considered. Instead, this is lawyer talk about process. In lawyer talk these terrorists must be released from the Bush military tribunal system and then recharged in the Federal Court system. Those not charged due to lack of evidence to convict will be sent back to their country of origin. The rest will be tried in Federal Court on various serious charges. In the event that some could be found not guilty they too will be sent back to their country of origin.

But make no mistake, this talking point "released to your community" has been a powerful fear tactic. Why Obama has allowed this false message to be played over and over again shows a weak link in his message. No explaination on the meaning of "released" or the use of "communities" as a term for maximum security prison. For that matter, why has MSM not challenged this Republican talking point. Oh, never mind.

in general are too involved in their phony little lives to care about the USA mistreatment of other peoples, especially Muslim ones.

closure of Guantanamo 46/45; in a Jan. 2009 CNN poll, Americans supported closure 51/47; in a Gallup poll later that month, they opposed it 45/35; in a Feb. 2-4 CBS poll, they opposed it 46/44; in a Feb. 2 Gallup poll, they opposed it 50/44; in a Feb. 4-8 Pew study, they supported Obama's decision 46/39; in an April 22-26 CBS/NY Times poll, they opposed it 47/44; and today, finally, 54 percent opposed it ...

Jun 2 2009, 1:16 pm by Chris Good
Has Dick Cheney Won The Argument Over Guantanamo?
http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/06/has_dick_cheney_won_the_argument_over_guantanamo.php

Sampling and the exact question asked matter, of course