Promoting Transparency on Guantanamo Detainees

Since the start of the Afghan war in 2001, the Guantanamo detention facility in Cuba has been infamous for locking up numerous and sometimes high-profile terrorists captured in Afghanistan. It also houses various criminals and drug syndicates from Cuba and Mexico. It is good to note that the Guantanamo facility is located in Cuba which is one of America’s enemies. It is a big possibly that an attack on the facility may take place and create a significant impact though there hasn’t really any attempt at all.

One of President Obama’s promises during his presidential speech was to shut down the Guantanamo facility. There are many reasons why the facility should be abandoned. One is for diplomatic reason as the US has limited or no jurisdiction at all for Guantanamo Bay. It has also violated the Geneva Convention where the US has declared the prisoners brought in were not prisoners of war but instead belong to a newer category called “enemy combatants”. According to the International community, there’s no such category exist and those prisoners were actually prisoners of war.

Pres. Obama is now nearing his second year in office and the promise of closing Guantanamo is far from becoming a reality. This failure is a direct result of the Republican effort to block funds for the creation of a replacement facility. Another issue has surfaced with regards to the identification of the “Fifth category” or prisoners who are considered very dangerous to release but also hard to prosecute because of inappropriate evidence. The government is seen struggling to create a resolution that will consider closing Guantanamo but also put emphasis on national safety concerns.

The government acknowledges the lack of funding and also policy for the detainees. There hasn’t been any concrete policy with regards to who should be detained indefinitely. It also raises the issue of transparency. Categorizing a particular prisoner unto the “fifth category” should be fully understood by the international community and should also follow international standards. The government itself seems puzzled on how and what are the policies involved for such classification.

One replacement facility being eyes is the detention facility in Illinois. It has the necessary facilities and can still accommodate a handful of detainees. Again the issue boils down to the government introducing the policies involved for such detention. Transparency is key so that the local and international community will be made aware that certain procedures are done legally and correctly. It will also generate the much needed trust and confidence from various sectors of the nation. Pres. Obama should weigh on its options and fulfill his promise.

Death Penalty for 9/11 Terrorists May Still Be Uncertain

Almost every people especially Americans are most familiar with the September 11 attacks on the world trade center that claimed approximately 3000 lives. The attacks where done with the clear intent of killing innocent people and send a message to America. Those terrorists who initiated the attack were quite heartless and emotionless that they didn’t even cared for the thousands of lives they shattered. It was really an ugly sight to look at and was considered a day of grief and mourning.

Years later, you may me wondering what happened to the other terrorists who were also part or at least indirectly supported the attacks. Right after 9/11, the American government initiated a move that would capture or if possible, eliminate all terrorists in the world. The government implemented the Anti-Terrorism policy that would erase terrorist insurgents and give back to people the freedom to live a peaceful life.

On March 1, 2003, a terrorist known to be part of the infamous Al-Qaeda terrorist group named Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured in Pakistan and was brought into US custody at Guantanamo Bay. Mohammed allegedly proclaimed that he was part of the 9/11 terror plot and would very much plead guilty to face the death sentence. It is quite disturbing to note that terrorists such as Mohammed are looking at killing other people and dying for it is an act of Martyrdom. Where is the value for Life then?

Today, the Obama administration is still uncertain on what to do with those captured individuals. Attorney General Eric Holder was pushing for a formal trial and would eventually result in death sentence for all the accused. The trial didn’t actually take place because of so many controversies. Right now, they are pushing for the trial and defining where it will take place. They are also figuring out where to put those remaining prisoners inside Guantanamo Bay prison facility.

Let’s just hope that the government is keen enough to take this issue more seriously and give justice to all the families who lost a love one during the 9/11 attacks. If you were to decide, would you want to bring and do the trial for those terrorists in mainland US? There is still a big conflict between deciding if they are to be moved to mainland US. Lets us all be vigilant and hope that the government does toe appropriate steps to ensure justice but also at the same time protect its citizens from harm.