Americans may be less safe today because the Obama administration made the decision to circumvent the Constitutional treaty ratification process by mandating that his administration would begin compliance with Article 75 of Additional Protocol I (API) to the 1949 Geneva Conventions “out of a sense of moral obligation.”

API, an [...]

Read More and Comment: Obama Discovers New “Rights” for Terrorists]]> Susan Stamper Brown, FloydReports.com

Americans may be less safe today because the Obama administration made the decision to circumvent the Constitutional treaty ratification process by mandating that his administration would begin compliance with Article 75 of Additional Protocol I (API) to the 1949 Geneva Conventions “out of a sense of moral obligation.”

API, an unsanctioned addition to the Geneva Convention that was unequivocally rejected by previous administrations, outlines fundamental rights or guarantees for captives taken in an international armed conflict. This addition sounds nice in Dreamland, where it’s okay to interchange the words “international” and “national” without consequence. But, where the rest of us live, the word “international” is quintessential. The Supreme Court determined (Hamdan vs. Rumsfeld) that America is involved in a non-international armed conflict with al-Qaeda and the Taliban, making Article 75 moot.

We were led to believe we were having an intelligent Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo) detainee discussion when the administration threw in some non sequitur about Article 75. Introducing Article 75 into the conversation was misleading to those who take words at face-value, confusing to those who dare to delve below the surface and alarming to those who understand our safety is in the hands of some who dangerously dance outside the confines of common sense.

In a March 7, 2011, White House fact sheet titled “New Actions on Guantanamo and Detainee Policy,” the administration suggests, “Our adherence to these principles is also an important safeguard against the mistreatment of captured U.S. military personnel.” Let me get this right. America is involved in a non-international armed conflict with an indefinable enemy that use woman and children as “human shields,” blow themselves up on a regular basis, behead their enemy using dull swords – and we should believe our military will be safer? Secretary of State Clinton said it’s “not about who our enemies are, but about who we are.” We are a lot of things, but Americans aren’t stupid….

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Terrorist Relaxes at Gitmo

The White House’s national security adviser says the Obama administration is hard at work on fulfilling President Barack Obama’s deadline to shut down the Guantanamo detention center for suspected terrorists.

But James Jones also says that meeting Obama’s deadline to close the facility [...]

Read More and Comment: Obama Aide Hopes Gitmo Closing Deadline Can Be Met]]> Newsmax

Terrorist Relaxes at Gitmo

The White House’s national security adviser says the Obama administration is hard at work on fulfilling President Barack Obama’s deadline to shut down the Guantanamo detention center for suspected terrorists.

But James Jones also says that meeting Obama’s deadline to close the facility by Jan. 22 is proving harder than officials first thought.

Jones says it’s clear that Guantanamo must close, because of the symbol it’s come to represent.

Jones says Obama has made a commitment to close it and the adviser says he still hopes the administration can meet that deadline.

Senior administration officials have told The Associated Press that difficulties in completing the lengthy review of detainee files and resolving other tough questions mean the president’s promised January deadline may slip.

Jones spoke on CNN’s "State of the Union."

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By Eric Allie Cagle Cartoons

Obama is preparing to shut it down by releasing terrorists right and left

An Obama administration task force has so far cleared 75 of the remaining 223 Guantanamo prisoners for release as part of its effort to close the detention camp, a military spokesman said on [...]

Read More and Comment: Obama team clears 75 at Guantanamo for release]]> By Jane Sutton, Reuters

Obama is preparing to shut it down by releasing terrorists right and left

An Obama administration task force has so far cleared 75 of the remaining 223 Guantanamo prisoners for release as part of its effort to close the detention camp, a military spokesman said on Monday.

The review team is examining each prisoner’s case to decide who will be held for trial and who can be sent home or resettled in other nations.

President Barack Obama had set a January 22 deadline to shut the detention camp although Defense Secretary Robert Gates told ABC News in an interview broadcast on Sunday that "it’s going to be tough" to meet the deadline.

As the review team makes its decisions, military officials at Guantanamo post an updated list in the camps to let the prisoners know how many from each nation have been judged free to go.

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Obama sends Alla Ali Bin Ali Ahmed home to Al-Qaeda haven Yemen

The Department of Justice Saturday evening announced that two detainees had been transferred from Guantanamo Bay to Ireland, and one had been transferred to Yemen.

There are more than 220 detainees remaining at the [...]

Read More and Comment: Obama Administration Frees Three More Gitmo Detainees]]> ABC News

Obama sends Alla Ali Bin Ali Ahmed home to Al-Qaeda haven Yemen

The Department of Justice Saturday evening announced that two detainees had been transferred from Guantanamo Bay to Ireland, and one had been transferred to Yemen.

There are more than 220 detainees remaining at the prison. In the last couple months, the White House has made it increasingly clear that the President will not make his self-stated January 22, 2010 deadline to close to prison.

Alla Ali Bin Ali Ahmed, a native of Yemen, was captured in Pakistan in 2002 and returned to Yemen today. The Yemeni Embassy to the US issued a statement saying the country welcomed, "with enthusiasm, the release and transfer of its citizen."

The Obama administration did not name the detainees released to Ireland. "Pursuant to a request from the government of Ireland, the identities of these detainees are being withheld for security and privacy reasons," read a statement from the Justice Department. Amnesty International has been lobbying Ireland to accept Uzbek national Oybek Jamoldinivich Jabbarov, and another Uzbekh.

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By Gary McCoy, Cagle Cartoons

President Bush respectfully disagrees with obama's policies

Former President George W. Bush fired a salvo at President Obama on Wednesday, asserting his administration’s interrogation policies were within the law, declaring the private sector — not government — will fix the economy and rejecting the nationalization of health [...]

Read More and Comment: Bush takes swipes at Obama policies]]> By Joseph Curl, Washington Times

President Bush respectfully disagrees with obama's policies

Former President George W. Bush fired a salvo at President Obama on Wednesday, asserting his administration’s interrogation policies were within the law, declaring the private sector — not government — will fix the economy and rejecting the nationalization of health care.

“I know it’s going to be the private sector that leads this country out of the current economic times we’re in,” the former president said to applause from members of a local business group. “You can spend your money better than the government can spend your money.”

Repeatedly in his hourlong speech and question-and-answer session, Mr. Bush said he would not directly criticize the new president, who has moved to take over financial institutions and several large corporations. Several times, however, he took direct aim at Obama policies as he defended his own during eight years in office.

“Government does not create wealth. The major role for the government is to create an environment where people take risks to expand the job rate in the United States,” he said to huge cheers.

By Chad Groening, OneNewsNow

Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani

The retired naval officer who commanded the USS Cole when it was hit by terrorists says President Obama made an irresponsible decision to transfer a terrorist suspect from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility to New York City for prosecution.

Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani is [...]

Read More and Comment: Obama’s Gitmo trials pose threat to Americans]]>  

By Chad Groening, OneNewsNow

Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani

The retired naval officer who commanded the USS Cole when it was hit by terrorists says President Obama made an irresponsible decision to transfer a terrorist suspect from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility to New York City for prosecution.

Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani is set to go on trial for his alleged role in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. He is the first detainee from the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to be transferred to the United States under an Obama administration plan to prosecute some of them in the federal court system.

But critics of the move wonder what happens if the suspect is acquitted — will he just be set free in New York, they ask. Commander Kirk Lippold (USN-Ret.) is the senior military fellow at Military Families United.

“We may have the evidence necessary to convict him of the crimes. That, however, does not necessarily permit the president to just yank him out of Guantanamo Bay, in the dead of night, bring him to the United States and put him up,” he contends.

Obama has yet to deal with the larger issue of Gitmo, according to Lippold.

By Gary McCoy, Cagle Cartoons