U.S. general who opened Guantanamo prison says shut it down

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: Reuters

The U.S. general who opened the Guantanamo detention camp said Thursday it was a mistake and should be shut down because "it validates every negative perception of the United States."

"In retrospect, the entire detention and interrogation strategy was wrong," Marine Major General Michael Lehnert wrote in a column published in the Detroit Free Press.

Lehnert, now retired from the military and living in Michigan, was the first commander of the task force that opened the detention camp in January 2002 at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba.

He said the United States opened it "because we were legitimately angry and frightened" by the September 11 hijacked plane attacks in 2001 and thought the captives sent there would provide "a treasure trove of information and intelligence."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/u-general-opened-guantanamo-prison-says-shut-down-164444821.html

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Wonder if he's worried about war crime trials or really has come around...

[tblue]

1. For it before he was against it.

Okay. Whatever. Sounds like he's on the right side of history now. It's ghastly what we have done.

[progressoid]

2. If he's sincere, good for him.

Of course he's retired so he doesn't have to worry about backlash. And as a retired General, his influence is pretty small.

[rhett o rick]

3. Funny how the most powerful person in the free world is powerless to close Gitmo. nm

[Demeter]

4. If you are in the Armed Forces, you give up your right to dissent

After retirement, you are free to criticize the actions of the C in C.

This is why I could never serve in the military.