Saturday, October 12, 2019

Time to Close Gitmo: Try Detainees in Federal Courts and End this National Nightmare

For those who want swift and certain detainee justice
(Gitmo does not deliver that)

Read this report (.pdf): Federal court system vs. Gitmo military tribunals to see the clear differences between the tribunals and the federal court system: Facts vs. Myths.

From this article – a key part:

Trump at one point vowed to keep Gitmo open and in his words: “…to load it up with some bad dudes.”

Instead, it remains open and in his — and the nation’s best interest – it should be closed.

Even if all the defendants were acquitted they would likely not be released, and the cost to the taxpayer of holding them and the other 35 detainees at Gitmo is substantial. 

Recent reporting revealed the yearly cost of holding each of the detainees at Gitmo is $13 million, far costlier than detention in U.S. federal prisons, where the most dangerous prisoners are held for $78,000 per year.

Those costs are likely to increase as detainees get older. For instance, a contemplated facility to house only a fraction of the detainees as they age and need increased medical care comes with an $88.5 million price tag.

In reaction to the news of the per detainee outlay, Trump stated: “I think it’s crazy. It costs a fortune to operate, and I think it’s crazy.”

My 2 cents: It’s time to try them in our Federal system and get justice we all want and need and say we cherish: Swift and fair justice. 

Right now that does not exist in his Tribunal set up. The Federal courts give that justice and they have the track record to prove it.

More expected later on this topic. Stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by.


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