The Associated Press reports on preliminary planning among Obama advisors about what to do with the Gitmo detainees:
President-elect Obama’s advisers are quietly crafting a proposal to ship dozens, if not hundreds, of imprisoned terrorism suspects to the United States to face criminal trials, a plan that would make good on his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison but could require creation of a controversial new system of justice. . .
Under plans being put together in Obama’s camp, some detainees would be released and many others would be prosecuted in U.S. criminal courts.
A third group of detainees – the ones whose cases are most entangled in highly classified information – might have to go before a new court designed especially to handle sensitive national security cases, according to advisers and Democrats involved in the talks. . . .
The plan being developed by Obama’s team has been championed by legal scholars from both political parties. But it is almost certain to face opposition from Republicans who oppose bringing terrorism suspects to the U.S. and from Democrats who oppose creating a new court system with fewer rights for detainees.
I think there are a range of plausible ways to handle the Guantanamo detainees, and the devil is in the details. But I tend to think a hybrid system like this sounds promising. Plus, it’s a breath of fresh air to have an incoming President who actually plans to act on Gitmo rather than preserve the status quo.
Thanks to How Appealing for the link.
Comments are closed.