US Said Worried About Image, Not Law in Guantanamo

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0310-06.htm

UNITED NATIONS - The United States is more concerned about its image than the law in its handling of terror suspects held at its naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a lawyer for the detainees said on Wednesday.

As the U.S. Supreme Court nears an April 20 hearing on a lawsuit challenging the detention of 16 of the Guantanamo prisoners, Washington is suddenly scrambling to send a message to the court that "we are doing something, trust us," said Michael Ratner, president of the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights.

Following the high court's surprise decision last November to review the case, Washington has granted minimal rights to some of the detainees and has pledged to release dozens of them, Ratner told a news conference at U.N. headquarters.

Two of the five Britons freed on Tuesday were among the 16 the center is representing in its suit, Ratner said.

that the Supremes do not look favorably upon their concentration camp.

been released and there were no charges filed against them. law suits are pending against the united states. state sponsered kidnapping is supposed to be against international law.

That's what I read during one of my two enlightening visits to the freepers EE.

Perhaps the US know why they do not want sign the treaty on the War Crimes Court.

And I still remember the poster who posted it.

Seems to be consensus there...

Warning: Material from the freepersEE
longtermmemmory:
There is no "international law" it is a fiction concoted to justify outrage. International law is what two nations say it is.

p. henry
Correct. There is no such thing as "international law."

One of them gives a reason for his opinion, at least.


The U.S. Constitution

Article. VI.

Clause 1: All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

Clause 2: This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
Bilbo Baggins, On News/Activism 02/18/2004 10:48:34 AM PST #46 of 54

But Bilbo Baggins has the following motto:
"Inside every liberal beats the heart of a dictator."

edited for the funny motto.

Tell them to check common law precedent, regardless of there is any treaty in place.

so I won't argue with them now.

Last night I joined hundreds of people at Cooper Union in NYC to hear from some of the family members of people imprisoned at Guantanamo. There were hundreds of people at this event and some media people were there; the Center for Consitutional Rights was a sponsor:

http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/home.asp

It was really moving to hear first-hand, personal accounts of what it is like to have your loved one disappear into a literal and legal "black hole" - I really felt that I needed to start writing letters, contributing to organizations like CCR and telling everyone I know that this disgraceful attack on civil liberties and human rights is an ethical, legal, legislative, local and global disaster which we cannot afford to ignore by simply venting and waiting for the Supreme Court to act. (Who knows what they will do).

Others who spoke last night: the mayor of a French town who knows one of the families; the mother of a 23 year old - one of our troops in Iraq - who died last month defusing a roadside bomb - she said he was not properly trained, had no flak jacket and that she received four different stories from the U.S. military about the circumstances of his death; Wally Shawn; the novelist Margaret Drabble; a British and French lawyer representing some of the Guantanamo detainees. Maybe this is part of the reason why "Washington is suddenly scrambling to send a message to the court". When Michael Ratner of the CCR first started to call attention to what was happening in Guantanamo, he got nothing but hate mail. Now - they are "scrambling to send a message" - let's send our message that human rights violations are not negotiable!