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T H U R S D A Y , M A R C H 2 4 , 2 0 0 5Bush Meet Kafka. Kafka Meet Bush.by Michael in New York on
3/24/2005 02:16:00 AMKafka came to Guantanamo Bay this year, once militaryproceedings started to review the cases of the prisoners beingheld and determine whether any of them should be released.Some lovely highlights: prisoners were refused the right tohear many of the charges against them or what evidence wasused to buttress those charges (it's classified; stop whining)and the lawyers and others prosecuting them covered up theirname-tags."So far, 64 detainees have had hearings scheduled beforeadministrative review boards, and 39 have declined to attend.Captain Kaniut said one reason was that many were skepticalabout the fairness of the proceedings. Another reason, he said,may be that the cases against them are so strong that ahearing would be futile," says the New York Times.And there are other reasons. Recent articles in the New YorkTimes and elsewhere described serious and upsetting chargesby court appointed lawyers. (If anything can be said to be"upsetting" that is less than the rape, torture and killing ofprisoners we KNOW have no useful information.) Among theclaims: guards at Guantanamo Bay pretend to be lawyers andmeet with prisoners to get info; then, when the real lawyersshow up, the prisoners don't trust them and refuse tocooperate in their own defense. Other prisoners meeting withlawyers have felt the wrath of guards after those lawyers leaveand then don't want to see the lawyers when they return.This is all making a sad mockery of what the United Statesstands for: fair trials, the rule of law, decency, respect and allthose other qualities in short supply at Guantanamo and thenumerous secret locations around the world we don't evenknow about. The sad truth is that some of the prisoners beingdetained actually are bad guys, but we don't need to treatthem like beasts or demean our principles even for them.And the rest -- people sold to the military by warlords to collecton bounty, innocent fools in the wrong place at the wrong time,and even the true believer combatants who signed up whenAfghanistan or Iraq was invaded by another country (hgoweverbenevolent) but don't have any knowledge of terrorism etc --god help us for how we've treated them and debased, morethan anyone else, ourselves.
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3/24/2005 02:16:00 AMKafka came to Guantanamo Bay this year, once militaryproceedings started to review the cases of the prisoners beingheld and determine whether any of them should be released.Some lovely highlights: prisoners were refused the right tohear many of the charges against them or what evidence wasused to buttress those charges (it's classified; stop whining)and the lawyers and others prosecuting them covered up theirname-tags."So far, 64 detainees have had hearings scheduled beforeadministrative review boards, and 39 have declined to attend.Captain Kaniut said one reason was that many were skepticalabout the fairness of the proceedings. Another reason, he said,may be that the cases against them are so strong that ahearing would be futile," says the New York Times.And there are other reasons. Recent articles in the New YorkTimes and elsewhere described serious and upsetting chargesby court appointed lawyers. (If anything can be said to be"upsetting" that is less than the rape, torture and killing ofprisoners we KNOW have no useful information.) Among theclaims: guards at Guantanamo Bay pretend to be lawyers andmeet with prisoners to get info; then, when the real lawyersshow up, the prisoners don't trust them and refuse tocooperate in their own defense. Other prisoners meeting withlawyers have felt the wrath of guards after those lawyers leaveand then don't want to see the lawyers when they return.This is all making a sad mockery of what the United Statesstands for: fair trials, the rule of law, decency, respect and allthose other qualities in short supply at Guantanamo and thenumerous secret locations around the world we don't evenknow about. The sad truth is that some of the prisoners beingdetained actually are bad guys, but we don't need to treatthem like beasts or demean our principles even for them.And the rest -- people sold to the military by warlords to collecton bounty, innocent fools in the wrong place at the wrong time,and even the true believer combatants who signed up whenAfghanistan or Iraq was invaded by another country (hgoweverbenevolent) but don't have any knowledge of terrorism etc --god help us for how we've treated them and debased, morethan anyone else, ourselves.
MORE POSTS ABOUT: TORTURE
HuffPost PoliticsThe Wrong Reporter Asks Obama A Question - Thechance to ask a question during a prime-timepresidential press conference is treasured realestate in the world of journalism. So when thePresident...2 minutes ago
Daily KosIOKIYAPI (It's OK If You're A Private Insurer) -Here's William Kristol revealing the *horrors*hidden within the health care bill as it emergedfrom the HELP committee... For Kennedy and hisco-autho...14 minutes ago
Ben SmithObama: Cambridge police acted 'stupidly' - Afterspending most of an hour patiently reiterating hisarguments for changing the health insurancesystem, President Barack Obama turned his press21 minutes ago
Paul KrugmanProfessor in chief - I found Obama's health carepresentation so impressive - so much command ofthe issues - that it had me worried. If I really like apoliticians' speech, is...41 minutes ago
EschatonObama Speaks - In Case You Missed It50 minutes agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S
Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V
Next 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Bush ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/03/bush-meet-kafka-kafka-...
1 of 57/22/09 10:34 PM
Visit ourAMERICAblog TV site.see all 322 videos >I collect with
vodpod
For the GOPers, healthcare is politics. They just
Traditional media has todebunk the birthers
One small step...
The right-wing media, thevoices of the GOP, in
REM - Orange CrushAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Bush ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/03/bush-meet-kafka-kafka-...
2 of 57/22/09 10:34 PM
Ezra KleinTab Dump2 hours agoWonk RoomSen. Byron Dorgan:The ‘Trade’ InCap-And-Trade ‘MakesNo Sense To Me’4 hours agoHealth BeatTruth Squad: WallStreet Journal HealthCare Editorial Wrong onthe Facts . . .5 hours agoThe TreatmentHatch Is Out6 hours agoDaily DoseProviders Endorse 'Payfor Value' Proposals12 hours agoG AY P O L I T I C S
Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S
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SearchS E N D U S T I P S &C O M M E N T Samericablog@starpower.netB L O G A R C H I V E
Blog ArchiveS I T E S W E L I K EAir America RadioAlan Colmes' blogAri Melber (The Nation)Ben SmithBicycleMark's blog &podcastBilericoBradBlogBring It OnCarrie FisherCrooks and LiarsDailyKosDan Savage's "Slog"Daou ReportDemocratic UndergroundEschatonEzra KleinFire Dog LakeFiveThirtyEight.comFreeway BloggerThe Gavel (SpeakerPelosi's blog)Good As YouGlenn GreenwaldHoly Bullies and HeadlessMonstersHuffington PostHullabaloo (Digby)Jack and Jill PoliticsJed ReportJesus' GeneralKenneth in the 212Margaret and HelenMatthew GrossMedia MattersMike Signorile's "The Gist"MudflatsMyDDOpen LeftPlum LinePolitical Punch (JakeTapper)Political WirePolitics 1Pop SurfingProgressive Blog DigestQueers UnitedRawStoryRex WocknerRude PunditSmirking ChimpTalk LeftTappedTaylor MarshThink ProgressTowleRoadVetVoice.comWashington NoteWayneBesen.comWonketteWorth Repeating
N E W S L I N K SUSWashington PostNYTAP PoliticsReuters PoliticsRasmussen PollsTimeNewsweekRoll CallThe HillABCNews
P L E A S E S U P P O RTA M E R I C A B L O GOne-time donation$
Recurring monthlydonation$
Donations are nottax-deductible.L A B E L S
Select a labelL A S T 1 0 0 V I S I T O R SRecent Visitors
A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Bush ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/03/bush-meet-kafka-kafka-...
4 of 57/22/09 10:34 PM
© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Bush ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/03/bush-meet-kafka-kafka-...
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