Democrats Hope to Expand Rights at Guantánamo

[Psycho4Bud]

WASHINGTON, June 5 â?? A day after two military judges ruled against the Bush administrationâ??s system for trying terrorism detainees, Democrats seized on the rulings on Tuesday as evidence that Congress should restore the right of those held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to challenge their detentions.

Senator Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat who is the majority leader, said he would be willing to bring such legislation to the floor. The Senate Judiciary Committee is preparing to approve such a plan on Thursday.

Senator Patrick J. Leahy, the Vermont Democrat who is chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said the rulings on Monday in two cases added urgency to the push to restore detaineesâ?? right to file habeas corpus suits. Congress eliminated that right last year while redesigning the military tribunals after the Supreme Court struck down the first plan.

Mr. Leahy criticized the administration for insisting on an approach to the tribunals â??which even conservative courts say no to.â?�

â??It just shows what happens when they want to just rush something through arbitrarily without actually listening to the people who actually knew what they are talking about,â?� he said Tuesday in an interview. â??After 9/11, a number of Republicans and Democrats talked to the White House and said we can put together legislation that can legitimately handle questions of military tribunals.

â??The White House was not the least bit interested,â?� Mr. Leahy continued. â??They made up their mind of how they were going to do it.â?�

Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat who is a member of the Judiciary Committee, said, â??The denial of habeas corpus is a mistake.â?�

Republicans who helped shape the measure last year said Congress should be careful not to respond too reflexively to the rulings, in which military judges dismissed charges of war crimes against two detainees. The administration has said it is exploring options for an appeal.

â??Congress cannot suddenly rewrite laws every time a federal district court judge or someone changes their view of the law,â?� said Senator John W. Warner, Republican of Virginia, who was closely involved in writing the military tribunal bill. â??Give it some time.â?�

Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and a former military prosecutor, said the decisions on Monday showed that the system worked as it should.

â??Letâ??s let the legal process go forward and not overreact,â?� Mr. Graham said. â??I consider it a point of pride that we have a judicial system at Guantánamo Bay that is focused on process. Not whoâ??s there, but the process. It is so important to distinguish ourselves from our enemies. In their world you donâ??t get a process. In our world you do.â?�

In the first comment from the White House on the decisions, Dana Perino, the deputy White House spokeswoman, said, â??We certainly disagree with the ruling.â?�

Ms. Perino added that the Defense Department was studying â??the opportunities for appeal and what they would say.â?�

The Judiciary Committee expects to approve a bipartisan bill restoring habeas corpus. That plan could be added to a Pentagon policy measure making its way through the Senate.

Ms. Feinstein said there should also be a vote as part of that bill to close the Guantánamo detention center. â??After this year, I donâ??t think Guantánamo makes a great deal of sense, if it ever did at all,â?� she said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/06/wa...mo.html?ref=us

Terrorists have the right to STFU, besides that....I think that the Dems are out of line on this one.

Have a good one!:s4:

Psycho4Bud Reviewed by Psycho4Bud on 06-06-2007. Democrats Hope to Expand Rights at Guantánamo WASHINGTON, June 5 â?? A day after two military judges ruled against the Bush administrationâ??s system for trying terrorism detainees, Democrats seized on the rulings on Tuesday as evidence that Congress should restore the right of those held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to challenge their detentions. Senator Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat who is the majority leader, said he would be willing to bring such legislation to the floor. The Senate Judiciary Committee is preparing to approve such a Rating: 5

[rebgirl420]

They already get happy meals and harry Potter

[Psycho4Bud]

HELL YEAH....not to mention the water boarding....they SHOULD feel fortunate for visiting our vacation resort!

Have a good one!:s4:

[rebgirl420]

thats freaking hilarious to me..especially him holding that little pail, you cant look like a badass holding a pail

[Psycho4Bud]

I mean really........how nice can it get???

Have a good one!:s4:

[RamblerGambler]

P4B, I can see where your coming from. But surprise, surprise, I'll back the dems on this one. Since the ruling shows us that not everyone in Gitmo is as dangerous as we're lead to believe, clearly something needs to change down there. IF they were, as is sometimes claimed, the worst of the worst then it makes sense for them to STFU. But they're not. At least not all of them. And this raises serious questions about the entire operation.

[Zimzum]

"Terrorists have the right to STFU, besides that....I think that the Dems are out of line on this one."

Nothing is keeping uncle sam from labeling you as a terrorist. In fact im sure this politics board has sent some flags on some homeland security/US_KGB data miner. Wouldn't you want some rights should you wake up in a club gitmo cell? Hell, we captured some of Hitler's top commanders after ww2, gave them trials with lawyers, many of who ordered deaths of millions. We didn't throw them in "secret prisons". In Vietnam we held to the Geneva Conventions even though they did not. Last I checked we where a civilized nation and not barbarians, its time we start acting like it again.

[rebgirl420]

^ no but we should have shot the nazi commanders on site, alot of them got off and or were able to take their ownlives at the Nuremberg trials.

[Torog]

I mean really........how nice can it get???

Have a good one!:s4:

Howdy Psycho4Bud,

I hear ya man ! I figure that next will be honorary American citizenship,with full Constitutional rights and a medal of honor to boot..meanwhile our troops will continue to have feces,urine and puke,slung at them everyday,while ensuring that every little need is met and every little want-is considered.

Have a good one ! :jointsmile:

[medicinal]

Dems all the way. No matter what the crime, everyone deserves their day in court, Doesn't the Bush regime claim they want to capture Bin Laden and put him on trial. This is a slippery slope and the Bush regime has been trying to apply these rules to every citizen, no Habeas corpus, Not being able to confront your accuser, secret testimony, things guaranteed by the constitution. We can't let these rules stand.