Monday, June 13, 2011

Gitmo Yes or No

Guantanamo Bay

To close or not to close, that is the question. This has been a hard decision for the President and the Justice department. Perhaps if it was not a political position as well as a campaign promise, maybe it could be examined properly. Why is there a detention center on this island to start with. It was formed under the Bush administration as a place to hold captured suspected terrorists and process them. In this facility the suspects were to be questioned, charged and tried under a military tribunal for there alleged crimes. Controversy surrounds the treatment of the suspects. Accusations of torture, religious persecution, improper feeding, and more. With this cloud over the facility, President Obama tried to close Gitmo down and move the suspects to the US and try them in federal court. He was not successful.
The United States spent a lot of taxpayer dollars to build this facility and the cost continues in order to keep it operational. Is there a way to offset the cost but keep the objectives behind Gitmos formation? Here is a possible solution. Is terrorism a United States problem? No, it is a world wide problem. Some countries take it seriously, some do not. The countries that do not take it seriously say they do. They arrest, convict and send to jail these terrorists. Then they release them several weeks later to resume their ways. Perfect example was the Lockerbie bomber. He was convicted to a life sentence but was released. If these convicts were in a special facility, they would never get back in service. So why not make Gitmo a world terrorism court and detention facility. All countries would be required to supply Judges, Lawyers, guards and other required personnel as well as operational funding. This would ensure that every country is watching each other, fair trials can be given in a reasonable time, sentences can be carried out and no one can be released before their time.
A Gitmo International Judicial System would serve the world with honor as well as performing their mandate with professionalism and honor.

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