Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Senate Hearing on Detainees 

The full Senate Judiciary Committee is holding hearings on detainees (aka Guantanamo Bay) today. You can view the prepared statements of witnesses, and check out the live webcast on the hearing site. Thus far, Brig. General Thomas Hemingway stated, regarding how long individuals could be detained without being actually charged, "I think that we can hold them as long as the conflict endures." Deputy Associate Attorney General J. Michael Wiggins supported this from a legal standpoint, saying, "It's our position that legally they can be held in perpetuity."

Senator Patrick Leahy doesn't agree.
"Guantanamo Bay is an international embarrassment to our nation, to our ideals, and it remains a festering threat to our security," Leahy said. "Our great country, America, was once viewed as a leader in human rights and the rule of law, and justly so. Guantanamo has undermined our leadership, has damaged our credibility, has drained the world's goodwill for America at an alarming rate," Leahy added.

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Posted by Rogueslayer at 2:10 PM