Dep Asst Defence Sectry 4 Detainee Affairs says 'Close Gitmo NOW', resigns. Consciences catching up?

[Catherina]

Deputy Assistant Defence Secretary for Detainee Affairs

Why we should shut down Guantanamo: Prison camp's jailer-in-chief makes jaw-dropping U-turn and says it should never have been built

-- William Lietzau had key role in creating Guantanamo under George Bush
-- He has now argued the detention camp should never have been built
-- He said detainees should have been PoW's and held in Afghanistan
-- If charged, they should have been taken to American prisons, he said

By David Rose

PUBLISHED: 21:08 GMT, 3 August 2013

The Pentagon official in charge of Guantanamo Bay has admitted that if he had his time over, he would have argued that the notorious detention camp should never have been built.

William Lietzau, America’s Deputy Assistant Defence Secretary for Detainee Affairs, told The Mail on Sunday in an exclusive interview that Guantanamo’s detainees should have been legally designated as prisoners of war and held in Afghanistan, or if charged with crimes, taken to prisons in America.

Mr Lietzau – who, after three and a half years in his job, last week announced he will be stepping down to take a private sector job in September – added that the best way for President Obama to close Guantanamo would be to announce that the ‘war’ with Al Qaeda is over.

Under international law, this would end any justification for continuing to hold prisoners who had not been charged with crimes.


Not proud: William Lietzau has said Guantanamo's detainees should have been legally designated as prisoners of war and held in Afghanistan, or taken to American prisons if charged

...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2384208/Why-shut-Guantanamo-Prison-camps-jailer-chief-makes-jaw-dropping-U-turn-says-built.html

Lietzau Steps Down From Guantanamo Post

Posted July 29th, 2013

William Lietzau — deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee policy and rule of law — told his staff that he will leave his post by Sept.

...

http://www.tactical-life.com/news/lietzau-steps-down-from-guantanamo-post/

[Vanje]

1. Close Gitmo

The America I know doesn't hold people indefinitely without trial.

[Catherina]

3. Now. Like yesterday.

This is the broken promise I take the most to heart.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. It's not a "broken promise"

so much as a "thwarted" one-and he got little support from his fellow Dems. Hopefully, the tide is turning.....

[FirstLight]

6. okay...

But if he had really held this in high regard as an issue, there would have been more pushback. Kind of like the WH Statement issued regarding the recent NSA bill? ya, don't tell me he is powerless against the congress...

[rhett o rick]

7. It was a promise that he has not tried to fulfill.

Unless he is totally powerless, as some claim, he could have done something.

Maybe Ms. Clinton will "promise" to close Gitmo. You know "dont fool us again."

[zeemike]

10. And that is a lame excuse.

Gitmo is a military operation and he is CIC of the military...a simple order to the generals would have done it...
But instead he asked the congress for money to build another one in the states, knowing full well they would say no and he could blame them for it...and keep the status quo, and not embarrass the Bush family.
So those men many of whom have been cleared for release have suffered torture for another 5 years because of it.
Fuck that shit, I am tired of the excuses.

[reusrename]

13. It was his first official act.

I totally lost confidence in him when he announced that he would close Gitmo by keeping it open. It was a Bush-league political move.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

14. Congress imposed restrictions on transferring

prisoners as I recall and it was a veto-proof vote. He says he wants to close it. Do you honestly believe that if Congress removed the restrictions tomorrow and he could shut it down, he would refuse to do it? Bush left him with a legal and moral nightmare that Congress (mostly Republicans) have not allowed him to fix.

[FirstLight]

5. + a gazillion!!!

I hate this one most of all...Hope this makes enough noise to effect things... but I don't expect much anymore.

[think]

2. Kick ass rec!

[DirkGently]

8. We will carry the shame of the Gitmo debacle forever. n/t

[HereSince1628]

15. Yes, but the pain is likely to fade as it is blamed on a previous generation

Think about how we react to imprisoning US citizens during WWII. It seems Americans generally act like it's ancient history, disconnected from their reality, and the fault of fearful ancestors who couldn't help themselves at the time.

[Ed Suspicious]

9. Good for him. It's a little shitty that he waited to feather his nest with a private sector job

before voting his conscience, but I'll take it.

[malaise]

11. Fugg him

Too late

Close Gitmo!

[KoKo]

12. Recommend!