President Obama: Please release the Gitmo slaves

[LittleBlue]

Detainees is too pleasant a word for people who have been captured, imprisoned without trial, and tortured for 6 years. Some are citizens of foreign countries (like Canada), and we have denied their countries' request to release them back into their custody.

Please Mr. President, release them as your first act!

[Thrill]

1. Where do we put them? If it closes?

[jwirr]

3. They could be temporarily be held in our federal system until their

status is processed and then sent back to their own countries if there is no proof.

[cali]

5. for quite a few of them, that would be a death sentence.

[lunatica]

12. That's only if they're mixed with the general prison population.

Either release them to their countries or give them space in our prisons, housed all together and separated from the general population for the simple reason that they haven't even been tried yet, much less found guilty. Then try them or release them.

The Guantanamo prison should be completely destroyed because it is an aberration and a crime against everything our Constitution stands for.

[cali]

13. no, I mean a death sentence if they are released to their countries

Of course Gitmo should be shut, but if you think that releasing many of these folks to their own countries is anything but a death sentence, well, you're wrong.

[jwirr]

15. Do you mean from fellow prisoners or biased juries? The only reason

I suggest this is because Obama is not going to just be able to let them free without some kind of investigation/trial without being called soft on terror.

[LittleBlue]

6. Exactly. Just deport them back to their home countries.

Bush never had evidence or he would have tried them.

[Overseas]

10. If their "status" hasn't been "processed" after several years-- LET THEM GO.

If you haven't found a single reason to charge them with a crime after this many years in detention, let them go.

If there is a reason to charge them, charge them and try them and then let them go if they are not convicted of a crime.

Big problem for the USA-- testimony elicited under torture is often not considered to have merit. People will say anything to save their lives, as the Bush team knew going into the whole thing.

[ogneopasno]

2. "Prisoners" is a better word. They aren't slaves.

[Heidi]

4. Slaves isn't a good word. "Political prisoners" probably applies to many.

If they've been unjustly held, offer them a ticket home and/or a fast-track to permanent US residency (their choice).

[LittleBlue]

8. I agree, and we must also pay reparations to those

who were held and not convicted.

[Heidi]

11. I could not disagree.

We're all gonna bear the burden of Bush's oppressive policies, but doing the right thing (even when it hurts) is the right thing to do.

[Overseas]

7. Yes please, President Obama, put closing Gitmo among your top priorities.

Charge and try the prisoners

OR RELEASE THEM.

If the US government has not established a reason to charge them after years of detention, time is up.

[Catch22Dem]

9. Slaves?

Aren't slaves supposed to be laborers? These people are political prisoners.

[Misskittycat]

14. I'd like him to announce to the world in his Inaugural Address that the "U.S. will observe

the Geneva Convention, no exceptions."