March 10, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
Sen. Lindsey Graham is proposing that the Department of Homeland Security take over the cases of detainees who've been slated for release. Not to free them, mind you. But to put them in a different jail from Gitmo. This is just among the many bad ideas Graham has about Gitmo in his effort to play "Let's Make A Deal" with the White House. But what makes any deal with Graham even LESS worth it is that Graham doesn't have the support to get the right wing of his party to vote for ANY compromise on Gitmo. They want it open -- forever. Graham's compromise keeps all the worst parts about Gitmo and Republicans STILL aren't happy, so why is the White House even bothering? Read More »
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March 09, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
Right now Sens. John McCain and Joe Lieberman are floating a bill that would allow for American citizens to be detained without charge. Sure it's unconstitutional, an affront to our values and an invasion of government into our lives -- something conservatives always claim to be against -- but that's never stopped them before. Read More »
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March 05, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
The Washington Post reported today that President Obama's advisers are likely to recommend that he try so-called 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a military commission. Is there going to be a reversal from Attorney Gen. Eric Holder's initial decision to try KSM in U.S. court to suddenly an overly politicized stance? Why would the President's advisers push for a failed system from the Bush/Cheney administration that has been ruled unconstitutional on several occasions, has been rife with problems and has only convicted three suspects in ten years? All this because White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is trying to win the approval of South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham? Who put the partisans in charge of our justice system? KSM belongs in a civilian court. Read More »
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March 03, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s Chief of Staff is wheeling and dealing over the closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison with Republican Senator Lindsay Graham (S-SC). Graham’s price for supporting the closing of Gitmo? Undermine the foundation of America’s system of justice and replace what we know works with what we no doesn’t. Rahm Emmanuel may think that this is a good deal. It isn’t. We need to tell President Obama not to take it before its too late. Read More »
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March 02, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
While we don't always agree, Sen. Lindsey Graham has said repeatedly that he's for the closing of the prison at Guantanamo Bay. Recently Politico reported that Graham is working closely with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel regarding how to close Guantanamo. The White House and the Department of Justice are pushing for stateside, criminal trials for several Gitmo detainees while Sen. Graham is staunchly against trying detainees in civilian courts. Can an agreement be reached? Read More »
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March 01, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
Last week the Department of Justice delivered a slap on the wrist for torture memo authors John Yoo and Jay Bybee. But what's more disturbing than the DOJ's reluctance to take on two lawyers regarding the illegal torture that occurred during the Bush-Cheney administration is the fact that it's 2010 and we're likely to never see anyone held accountable for breaking both U.S. and international law on torture. Read More »
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February 25, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
Sen. Chuck Grassley picked a not-so-new line of attack on stateside, criminal trials for Guantanamo Bay detainees this week. He claims it's more cost efficient to try the suspects at Guantanamo Bay. Maybe he doesn't know that the operating costs for Gitmo is between $90 and $118 million a year compared to the estimated $40 to $50 million it would cost to keep detainees in a facility like the prison in Thomson, Ill. Read More »
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February 24, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
Right wing talking points on everything from torture to terrorism trials is taking a beating this week! Throughout CPAC the crazier the better it was for "getting tough" on terrorism. But as Beck said in his speech, "it is still morning in America. It just happens to be kind of a head-pounding, hung-over, vomiting for four hours kind of a morning," and who was delivering that CPAC hangover? A tall, stiff glass of the truth. First Gen. Colin Powell came out for criminal trials for terrorists and Guantanamo Bay detainees. Then Gen. David Petraeus repeated that he's for the closure of Guantanamo Bay and against torture. THEN a known would-be terrorist became the 73rd al Qaeda related terrorist to be convicted in New York City's courts since 2001 and, surprisingly, the world didn't end, New York didn't collapse into disarray and al Qaeda is not roaming the streets of lower Manhattan. The truth is really mucking up the works for those who'd rather play politics with our national security. I wonder what they're response will be to all this actual factual? I'm going with "The truth doesn't count because it didn't call shotgun before hijacking our narrative!" Read More »
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