Monday, September 14, 2009

Pentagon Grants (Returns) "New" (Old) Rights to Afghan Prisoners



Yes, this is actually GOOD news. BBC news reported today that the Pentagon has

decided to "grant" Afghan prisoners at Baghram the right to challlenge

their detention
. Here is a short cutting from the BBC News

article:US defence department spokesman Bryan Whitman

said inmates would be allowed to go before a panel "periodically" to

contest their detention, reports AFP.
Huh, that sounds

like the right of Habeus Corpus--the right for any detained person to

see the body (corpus) of evidence brought before them. It's one of the

oldest "unalienable" rights guaranteed man, existing long before the

US Constituion which, I believe, also guarantees it (which says to me

the Pentagon is likely in violation of international law by not

guaranteeing it).



So while this BBC News article and the Pentagon call this a "new"

right that's been "granted" to these prisoners, you should note that

this is one of the oldest rights in the book and that the right isn't

being "granted," but "returned." You should also note that in order

for the Pentagon to "return" something they must first "take it away."



Here's the fun little ironic cherry on top, though--check out another

cutting from the Beeb News article: Mr Whitman added

that it was a process the US had used in Iraq.



It helped US officials there "manage the detainee population and

ultimately reduce the detainee population by ensuring that we are only

holding those that are the most dangerous threats," he said.
So, basically, if the Pentagon had been doing this all

along it would have helped them run their prison better.



Don't these people THINK before they do anything?



Orignal From: Pentagon Grants (Returns) "New" (Old) Rights to Afghan Prisoners

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