Guantanamo Bay: A
Continuing Cloud Over Democratic Tradition (Folha,
Brazil)
"Now in his second term, Obama can no longer delay
closing Guantanamo. His inaction mars the image of the
United States and encourages those who condemn the president for not
translating his beautiful speeches into reality. ... Even worse, the lack of
practical steps postpones the end of a legal aberration that clouds America's
democratic tradition."
Pressured by a hunger strike since February on the part of
100 of 166 detainees at the Guantanamo naval base, the president of the United
States, Barack Obama, has again raised his promise that he will close the
prison. It is past time to fulfill it.
Outside of American or international legal framework, the
prison camp, located on territory taken from Cuba in the late 19th
century, has been in service for 11 years.
Posted By Worldmeets.US May 7
A symbol of the exceptional measures taken in George W.
Bush's war on terror, Guantanamo serves as a place to deposit suspects accused
of terrorist acts. The prisoners there receive no basic rights, such as the
right to a full defense or due legal process.
Given these characteristics, it's not surprising that
closing Guantanamo was one of the main slogans of Obama's first presidential
campaign in 2008. What's so strange is that so far, he has been incapable of
honoring his commitment.
The head of the White House blames Congress, which
opposes the option of transferring the prisoners to maximum security prisons in
the United States.
In a statement this week, Obama rightly said that the
situation is unsustainable and that he would study appropriate administrative
measures he could take. But he set no timelines for presenting them.
Everything suggests that Obama’s hands are tied. Even so,
his critics assert that since last year, due to recent changes in legislation,
the president could have reduced the number of prisoners deemed less dangerous.
He could have also improved the way Guantanamo Bay is
administered. Human rights groups want more direct action from the White House
to expedite the processing of hearings for prisoners - many of whom have been
there since 2002 without having faced trial.
This week, 21 hunger-striking detainees were force fed
through nasal tubes. The practice is condemned by the World Medical Association
as violating the individual right to refuse to eat and drink.
Now in his
second term, Obama can no longer delay closing Guantanamo. His
inaction mars the image of the United States and encourages those who condemn
the president for not translating his beautiful speeches into reality.
Even worse, the lack of practical steps postpones the end
of a legal aberration that clouds America's democratic tradition.
