Obama vows to shut Guantanamo
President-elect Obama has confirmed to shut down Guantanamo as reported yesterday on CBS's 60 Minutes programme. "I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo, and I will follow through on that," the president-elect said in an interview taped Friday night.
However, Obama did not elaborate on where the detainees would be taken after the closure of Guantanamo. While Amnesty International welcomes the news about the closure of Guantanamo, it remains unclear what legal status those detainees who are not released from detention obtain after the closure. At the moment, the creation of a whole new legal system to deal with the classified information inherent in some cases is under discussion. Under these circumstances, the prisoner’s right to a fair trial under the U. S. Constitution may not be guaranteed.
In the interview Obama continued: "I have said repeatedly that America doesn't torture. And I'm going to make sure that we don't torture. Those are part and parcel of an effort to regain America's moral stature in the world." Amnesty International is urging US President-elect to show true leadership by making human rights central to his new administration.
Read Amnesty International’s checklist calling on the new government to take concrete steps in its first 100 days which would show genuine commitment to bring the USA into line with its international obligations.
Comments
Isaac kananga | Posted on 26 November 2008, 09:48PM | Report comment
As a Democrate novice in International law,As read the president it will hapened because his kind of speaking,looking and working showing me is Firm.
Louisa | Posted on 21 November 2008, 10:14AM | Report comment
Unfortuantely Tony I’m not sure that will ever happen. Given as was written in the story the creation of a whole new legal system is being discussed to deal with classified information. It is unlikely, even if Guantanmo is closed down, that the detaintees will get the same measure of procedural fairness you or I or the average American is entitled too.
Tony | Posted on 20 November 2008, 05:04PM | Report comment
This is great news. What happens to David Hicks if the trials are found to be null by the fact that proper procedure was not followed and justice was not seen to be done. Should he get a pardon?