Yesterday, President Obama had the first Guantanomo Bay detainee, Ahmed Ghailani brought to the United States to face charges related to his alleged role in the African embassy bombings in 1998. Following his transfer, the unfortunately named (and orange hued) house minority leader, John Boehner declared that this was the "first step in the democrats plan to import terrorists to America." As if Ghailani were being brought here for a guided tour of our most vulnerable facilities. Now why would Boehner stoop to such a ridiculous statement? Probably because on June 3rd the well respected Gallup organization released a poll that said that americans oppose the closure of Guantanomo Bay prison and the transfer of any prisoners to this country by a 65% to 32% margin. And all I can say is what a bunch of panicky, weak-kneed pansies we are. Do we really believe that our country is incapable of transporting, convicting, and holding these prisoners safely inside our borders? Well, apparently by a 2-1 ratio, yes.
First of all, the idea that the Gitmo prison makes us safer is ludicrous. What Gitmo has become is one of the best recruiting tools that Islamic extremists have against us. The fact that we are holding people in a foreign prison without legal representation indefinitely makes us look weak, fearful, and tyrannical. In the time the prison was opened in 2002 we have tried exactly 10 prisoners out of the over 500 who are detained there. We have tortured through waterboarding, sleep deprivation, stress positions, and other methods that we have abhorred when other countries have used them against us. In fact, we tried and convicted Japanese soldiers after world war 2 for the use of waterboarding against americans. We have violated the Geneva convention and international law repeatedly during the "war on terror." So imagine, if you will, how easy it is for the extremists to use Gitmo as a recruiting poster. But we think this place makes us safer. Amazing.
Now I am a big time lover of movies but anyone who thinks we can't haul prisoners safely from one prison to another has seen Con Air one too many times. These guys aren't superheroes. Hell, they aren't even Nic Cage. It's hard to even think of a major prison break that was successful in recent history. And no the television show starring Wentworth Miller on Fox (the aptly named Prison Break) doesn't count. Also, it's worth mentioning what kind of prison we'd be putting these people in. They wouldn't be in a Hotel Hilton. They would be in what's known as a supermax prison.
Here's a little about supermax prisons. The concept was developed from a prison in Marion, Illinois that went on full lockdown for 23 years after two guards were murdered by inmates. In a full lockdown setting, prisoners are generally allowed outside their cell for one hour a day. Otherwise, they are typically held in solitary confinement. Where they are under constant surveillance by closed-circuit television cameras. They are allowed only the barest of neccesities in their cells. The walls and the plumbing are often sound proof so that the inmates cannot communicate with each other. And what of that one hour a day of exercise? That takes place in another enclosed area where the inmate can exercise alone under the watch of armed guards. How many people would you hazard a guess have escaped a supermax prison? The answer is Zero. Zilch. None.
Maybe we are afraid that our justice system will be unable to convict these prisoners. But here's the thing, the average conviction rate by federal prosecutors is way over 90%. And after 6+ years of holding these people without trial or legal representation we should have a pretty good case against these folks. If we don't, then why were they imprisoned in the first place?
Yet here we are six years after panicking our way into invading a country that didn't attack us and we've learned nothing. After years of bullshit terror alerts, a policy of torture, a quagmire in Iraq, we want to commit the same mistakes based on fear. Somehow we don't think this country is strong enough to cycle fewer than 600 people through our justice system. Well if that's true then we are a weak nation running in fear of the bogeyman. I'm well aware that there are real dangers in this world. I will never forget the way I felt on September 11. But I will also never forget one of my favorite quotes, "those who would sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither"--Benjamin Franklin.
Sumo-Pop
June 9, 2009
You know David, I'd almost have to agree. But it's a small majority that actually think that. Besides, putting these terrorists in with the regular population might just do the justice for us. I mean alot of criminals may not like society in general but I'm willing to bet that a few are patriotic enough to waste these idiots so we don't have to ... Read Morehave the court costs piled on top of the costs already being paid for just to keep these dirt bags alive and healthy enough to be put thru the courts of justice.
ReplyDeleteJune 10 at 12:43pm