Winner 2013 Webby Awards for Best Political Website
June 19, 2013

 Choose a size
Text Size

Trending:     chris hedges     economy     nsa     politics     robert scheer
Most Read

Reporter Who Brought Down the 'Runaway General' Dead at 33

The Terror Con

Nate Silver vs. Politico: It's on Again

The Making of a Global Security State

IRS Conspiracy Theory Debunked, Rand Paul Answers Cheney Criticism, and More

Most Comments
Most Emailed

 * NEW! * Greenland’s Great Melt Is Pinned On Climate Change
The Making of a Global Security State



The Unwinding


Truthdig Bazaar more items

 
Ear to the Ground

Defense Secretary Asks Congress to Close Gitmo

Email this item Email    Print this item Print    Share this item... Share

Posted on Mar 29, 2007
Robert Gates
usip.org

Defense Secretary Robert Gates in a file photo.

Robert Gates urged Congress on Thursday to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, acknowledging that the international community was likely to doubt the credibility of tribunals held there: “My own view is that because of things that happened earlier at Guantanamo there is a taint about it.”


BBC:

The US has started the military trials of terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay.

Mr Gates told a House of Representatives committee that “my own view is that because of things that happened earlier at Guantanamo there is a taint about it.”

He said he wanted the Guantanamo prison to be closed and the trials moved to the US “because I felt that no matter how transparent, no matter how open the trials, if they took place in Guantanamo, in the international community they would lack credibility.”

Read more

More Below the Ad

Advertisement


New and Improved Comments

If you have trouble leaving a comment, review this help page. Still having problems? Let us know. If you find yourself moderated, take a moment to review our comment policy.

By NathanHale, March 30, 2007 at 1:39 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

We should not only close the prison but also turn the base back over to the Cubans.

Reopen a base in CONUS on the border, preferably a high illegal immigrant traffic area.

Report this

By Peter Ristov, March 30, 2007 at 9:15 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

So, there is “a taint” about Guantanamo, wow, by what intellectual brain process did our secretary of defense, come to this un-patriotic conclusion? Has he,too, fallen into trap of the Al-Qaeda’s powerfull propaganda as his wise predecessor predicted?
  I have a news for our constitution-illiterate
secretary of War: You don’t need any decision from the Congress to close that place of disgrace, a simple executive order will do it. Your boss would also “like to close it” but doesn’t know how. Between you two, you have an apparently, insoluble problem.

Report this

By Lani, March 30, 2007 at 8:45 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

The US has many secret torture prisions around the world as well as outsourcing agreements with other governments to torture our prisoners. I think Gates is dishonest.Does closing Guantamamo really addresss this secret shadow world of private contractors,private prisons,and the assitance of other goverments who willingly torture prisoners that has come to characterize the new America? I am sorry but Robert Gates doing the right thing,I simply don’t belive it.

Report this

By Jackie T. Gabel, March 30, 2007 at 12:35 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Coming from the cofounder of Al Queda, the irony in this resists disection even by a blow torch.

Report this

By Mackie Ramsay, March 29, 2007 at 8:08 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Knowing that Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants the Guantanamo prison closed means there is one person in the Bush Administration who has common sense and good judgement. One of main problems of the Bush Admisistration is their belief in the cruelty of torture.

Report this

By Quy Tran, March 29, 2007 at 5:08 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Too late, Mr. Gates ! The whole civilized world was spitting at your government face due to this damned concentration camp. How about the other camps throughout the world at your slavery nations ?

Report this

By Robert, March 29, 2007 at 4:53 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Actually, I respectfully disagree that the base should be closed immediately. the best way to build International Creditability would be to conduct a few more trials.

We should keep Guantanamo open for a minimum of four or five more very important trials.  Rumsfeldt, Gonzales, Rove, Cheney and Bush.

This would be the best way to build international credibility rapidly and USA could get some return on the investment for the costs of construction of the facilities.

Report this
Newsletter

sign up to get updates


 
 
 
 
Join the Liberal Blog Advertising Network
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
© 2013 Truthdig, LLC. All rights reserved.