Pentagon Grants (Returns) "New" (Old) Rights to Afghan Prisoners, originally uploaded by thepetecom.
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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