Obama's Gitmo: ACLU Slams Move to Illinois

In a press release December 15, the American Civil Liberties Union criticized the administration of President Barack Obama for its announcement of a plan to move terrorist detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois.

The ACLU says, "Though the administration is leaving unsaid which detainees will be moved there and for what purposes, the information it has provided indicates that some detainees might be held for military commission proceedings in Illinois while others might be held at Thomson indefinitely without charge or trial."

If that sounds like what's going on at Gitmo right now, that's because IT IS what's going on at Gitmo right now. It seems that in order to fulfill a campaign promise, the President is merely moving the inhabitants of Gitmo to a new location. The conditions of confinement and plans for the disposition of cases remains unchanged. In fact, President Obama has cited the authority granted to President Bush in the Authorization for the Use of Military Force in 2001 as grounds for continuing Bush's policy, only in a different locale. It's no surprise, then, that Republicans in Congress are labeling the planned site in Illinois as "Gitmo North."

A quote from ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero included in the press release goes as follows: "The creation of a 'Gitmo North' in Illinois is hardly a meaningful step forward. Shutting down Guantánamo will be nothing more than a symbolic gesture if we continue its lawless policies onshore. Alarmingly, all indications are that the administration plans to continue its predecessor's policy of indefinite detention without charge or trial for some detainees, with only a change of location. Such a policy is completely at odds with our democratic commitment to due process and human rights whether it's occurring in Cuba or in Illinois. In fact, while the Obama administration inherited the Guantánamo debacle, this current move is its own affirmative adoption of those policies. It is unimaginable that the Obama administration is using the same justification as the Bush administration used to undercut centuries of legal jurisprudence and the principle of innocent until proven guilty and the right to confront one's accusers."

Wow. Sounds like a pretty harsh slam to me.

Romero continues: "It is also greatly disturbing that the administration will continue the use of military commissions, which are no more acceptable in Illinois or any other U.S. state than in Guantánamo. Despite some improvements, the commissions still fall far short of the legal standards necessary to comply with constitutional and international standards, allowing, for example, the use of coerced and hearsay evidence that would not be allowed in federal court. The proceedings will achieve neither reliable justice nor a restoration of America's credibility around the world."

And the hits just keep on coming, huh? Like I've said before, it's the difference between running for president and being president. The world looks a whole lot different when you're the guy actually responsible for what happens and no longer the guy just pointing fingers from the outside.

Romero concludes with this: "The Obama administration's announcement today contradicts everything the president has said about the need for America to return to leading with its values. American values do not contemplate disregarding our Constitution and skirting the criminal justice system. After detaining hundreds of individuals without the basic due process rights that define our justice system for almost eight years, it is time to charge suspects where evidence exists and repatriate and transfer the rest to countries where they won't be tortured."

Maybe Mr. Romero should try being the guy responsible. Perhaps then he would see things in a different light. After all, that appears to be what happened to President Obama.

http://www.aclu.org/national-security/creating-gitmo-north-alarming-step-says-aclu