What is Gitmo…?

 

For anyone is who is unfamiliar with Gitmo.  Gitmo is another name for Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp.  It is a United States detention center operated by Joint Task Force Guantanamo since 2001.  It is located in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, which is on the shore of Guantanamo Bay, in Cuba.

 

The detainment areas consist of three camps in the base: Camp Delta – which includes:

 

1.     Camp  Echo

2.     Camp Iquana

3.     Camp X-ray (currently closed)

 

The facility is often referred to as the Guantánamo, or Gitmo. The detainees currently held as of June 2008 marked by the United States as Enemy combatants.

 

Claims were made by detainees were not entitled to any protections of the Geneva Conventions, which was ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 29, 2006.  The U.S. Supreme Court decided that they were entitled to minimum protection.

 

Following this, on July 7, 2006, the Department of Defense issued an internal memo stating that prisoners will in the future be entitled to protection under Common Article 3.

 

Recently, President Barack Obama signed three new executive orders and announced on January 21, 2009 that the Guantanamo Bay detention facility will be shut down as soon as possible, and no later than one year from now.  A number of detainees have returned to attacking civilians and US troops after their release.

 

President Barack Obama believes that what he will enhance the security of the American people that it lives up to our values as American people. The second order requires all U.S. interrogators in all agencies to adhere to rules in the Army Field Manual, and shuts down CIA detention centers around the world.  Obama’s also ordered demands that detainees be treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

 

The third executive order establishes an interagency task force co-chaired by Gates and the attorney general to conduct a review of all 248 detainees currently in Cuba.  This will determine who can be transferred to other countries, which should be tried in U.S. courts, and what should be done with those who cannot be tried or transferred.

 

The president also signed a memorandum stating that the Department of Justice would review the case of Qatar native Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, the only enemy combatant who is not in Guantanamo Bay. Behind this order is the idea that he needs to get the same kind of review that other detainees are getting.

 

The message that America is sending around the world is that the United States intends to prosecute the constant struggle against violence and terrorism, and we America is going to make sure they do it carefully, effectively; and in a manner that is consistent with American values and principles.  Obama is determined to win this fight on American terms.

 

Obama believes America is taking the honorable and ethical way to help fight against terrorism by allowing top suspects to come to the United States to stand trial according to the rule of law and serve their time in four available prisons. Some Americans are concerned and our worried if this is safe for the American people.  Many are worried that this idea may backfire and cause problems and difficulties that will affect the safety of millions of Americans.

 

By Closing Gitmo Are, We Jeopardizing our Countries Safety?

 

The president’s sweeping orders effectively dismantled the Bush administration’s system for handling terrorists, prompting criticism that his actions were shortsighted and dangerous.

 

Some Republicans, have expressed concern about where the detainees will go and say there are many questions still to be answered.

 

Some concerns that many have are:

 

• Do we bring them into our borders?
• Do we release them back into the battlefield, like some 61 detainees that have been released we know are back on the battlefield?
• Do we free them to go back and rejoin this fight?

 

Many Americans are afraid to bringing these terrorists on American soil.  Many Americans strongly believe it is not a good idea to put these terrorists in our city jails or our state prisons because it can endanger the lives of American people.   Who knows what they are capable of doing?  If a judge were to order a prisoner released — they could begin operating here on US soil. 

 

Many also believe such interrogations are not the best way to generate useful intelligence; that these methods are not constitutional; and that they are used as recruiting tools for the terrorist organizations all over the world.

 

What do you think?