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Administration Reconsiders Plans to Release Gitmo Detainees in US

Posted Jun 12, 2009 5:18 AM CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss

The United States may not become the new home for some Guantanamo detainees after all.

The Washington Post reports that the White House has “all but abandoned plans” to allow some detainees to live here. Administration officials revealed the change in thinking as the United States released to Bermuda four Chinese Muslims known as Uighurs who had been held at Guantanamo Bay for seven years. A judge had ordered their release after the U.S. determined they were not enemy combatants, but an appeals court overturned the ruling, saying the decision was for the president rather than the courts.

The U.S. is negotiating with other countries to take 13 remaining Uighurs.

The story says the administration won’t broadly pursue the release of detainees here, although “there may yet be ‘a few’ candidates for settlement in the United States among the dozens of Guantanamo detainees who have been cleared for release.”

Comments

1.

B. McLeod
Jun 12, 2009 7:41 AM CST

It is great that after only seven years, we have been able to determine that prisoners were never enemy combatants to begin with.  This is possibly an area where some rules of evidence and due process safeguards might have allowed for more efficient determinations.  Sorry about those seven years of your lives, gents, but we were nervous and had to be sure.

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2.

G. Wanton. Omo
Jun 12, 2009 8:07 AM CST

And yet, despite such actions, the Uighurs would still rather live here than return to China. Hmm - kinda makes ya think that the fact that we have a free press, free elections and the contitutional gurantees is stilll worthwhile (even if that guarantee may not neccesarily extend to perceived enemy combatants in time of war)- especially when played against the backdrop of the Tenamen Square anniversary.

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3.

Don't want 'em
Jun 12, 2009 9:45 AM CST

Do we really want potential ‘enemy combatants’ living here anyway?  I think we have enough already!

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4.

T.R.
Jun 12, 2009 10:22 AM CST

I am just curious:  What concessions did we give the Bumudese to get their cooperation in this arrangement?

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5.

J.D.
Jun 12, 2009 10:27 AM CST

The Obama Admin gave $200 million to the island nation of Palau to take them in.

It’s interesting to watch as the Obama Administration finally comes around to agree with the arguments made by Republicans for years. It seems every month Obama is discovering conservative logic and principles. The code pink crazies must be apoplectic.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/10/money-swayed-palau-uighur-gitmo-detainees/

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6.

T.R.
Jun 12, 2009 1:36 PM CST

I guess in the end, equity is served: 7 years in Gitmo followed by a permanent vacation in Bermuda on the U.S. taxpayers’ dime.

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7.

J.D.
Jun 12, 2009 2:24 PM CST

TR, I wouldn’t be so optimistic that they’ll remain on vacation permanently. Likely, they’ll return to jihad like so many temporarily detained Gitmoees before them.

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8.

T.R.
Jun 12, 2009 3:14 PM CST

@J.D.:

Please, at the very least, do us the service of at least reading the article before trolling.

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9.

B. McLeod
Jun 13, 2009 2:27 AM CST

Comment removed by moderator.

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