The U.S. government has said it will hold detainees until the "war on terror" ends. So forever then?

Question

70 to 90 % of the Iraq detentions in 2003 were "mistakes," U.S. officers once told the international Red Cross.
The "war on terror" is not a war at all by any modern definition. There is no set enemy. therefore it's war that can never be won or continued by choice indefinitely.
If they have adequate reason for locking them up, then charge them with something or let them go. Who are the US government to judge who shall and who shall not have human rights?

How much longer before somebody does something about it?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060918/ap_on_re_mi_ea/in_american_hands

Answer 1

The Supreme Court has already ruled that indefinite detention is not valid or legal, and that there must be specific procedures by which the detainees can challenge their detention. The Court has also specifically ruled that 6th Amendment protections apply. and that they must be charged with crimes or released.

This ruling was first issued in 2002, then 2004, then again in 2006.
Bush has consistently refused to acknowledge those rulings.

The most recent ruling requires that the prisoners must be tried in a duly constituted court, either military or civilian, and not by special tribunals where 5th/6th Amendment protections don't apply. Bush has again stated his intention to find a way to bypass that ruling.

{EDIT to Speakeasy} Bush's hands are tied, only in the sense he is not allowed to ignore the Constitution or federal law.

Answer 2

There can be no argument that the camps the Americans have set up for the freedom fighters of Iraq are concentration camps. One is bad enough but now we hear concentration camps have been set up in a number of other locations. I understand that bush is trying to amend the American constitution to allow torture and other measures to make em talk but of course when this treatment is reversed and an American is being tortured it is barbarism. The truth is who ever does the torture is barbaric.
How can a country with so many Jewish Representatives in congress condone the existence of a single concentration camp let alone a multitude. There is no way I can describe the contempt I have for those Americans that support the Idea of concentration camps and torture. The Jewish community in America have fallen to an all time low in not expressing their views on this debate. God bless America don't make me laugh god help America because it has fallen down on its knees towards the dirt.

Answer 3

How can anyone do anything about it, their dictator bush refuses to acknowledge that he is not above the law. If a foreign country was holding a US citizen without charges or trial you can bet old bushy would rant and rave and threaten invasion unless HIS demands were met. However if anyone else screams foul of US policy (legal or otherwise) and it doesn't suit them, bush simply ignores them or tells them tough, it seems there is one rule for the world and none for america the gr8 (well bush's administration anyway), wher will it end or will it!!

Answer 4

The United States of America stands accused of war crimes against humanity and one of those crimes is the holding indefinitely without trial of so-called terror suspects. Charge them or let them go, or be damned forever in the eyes of the world.

Answer 5

Yes, they'll be there indefinitely unless the next president lets them out. Holding the detainees illegally is only one example of Bush's illegalities. Consider his illegal wiretapping of US citizens. He actually makes it a practice to ignore laws, choosing to disregard hundreds of them according to this Boston Globe article. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/04/30/bush_challenges_hundreds_of_laws/?page=1

Bush has thrown out the concept of "rule of law." "Under the rule 'by' law, law is an instrument of the government, and the government is above the law. In contrast, under the rule 'of' law, no one is above the law, not even the government."

He's replaced "rule of law" with "rule of person," specifically "rule of many persons." An example of rule of many persons are "... the ancient Greek democracies." "The common feature of rule of person is the ethos that 'what pleases the ruler(s) is law.' That is, under rule of person, there is no limit to what the rulers (the government) can do and how they do things."

So, our government (the Bush administration) is not following our laws and is doing what it wishes instead.

How much longer before somebody does something about it? The next elections should be interesting.

Answer 6

by law a prisoner cannot be held indefinitely as mr bush has so far successfully done by gang raping the verdicts passed by superior courts from time to time....although there is a fine line between was is being done and what needs to be done unfortunately the same will go on till he is the president.

Answer 7

Our Supreme Court has tied the President's hands by insisting the Geneva Conventions apply to those captured in this conflict. They are to be held as POWs, meaning no trials until after the conflict, and then only those suspected of 'war crimes' or 'atrocities' merit trials.

Thusfar, the military has released hundreds of detainees from Guantanamo. Several have been re-captured or killed on the battlefield. One went on to set off bombs in Egypt...

Answer 8

yes forever , but america is forever to face the problem they are created the TERROR and america is sleepless in washington,they can afford to kiss to kiss the arab royals wher the arab also is their problem the menace of their progress ha....ha...ha try to think on that ironic equation of battled of borderless enemy.

Answer 9

Here's what's REALLY going on in Iraq!...
http://www.strayreality.com/Lanis_Strayreality/iraq.htm

Answer 10

The Bush people do what they want