US Senate Passes Guantanamo Rights Compromise 84-14

[Charlie Brown]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15512628.htm

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted to let terrorism suspects at the Guantanamo Bay prison appeal their verdicts by military tribunals to federal courts, but sustained its earlier vote to otherwise curb their access to federal court protections.

Senators passed a bipartisan compromise 84-14 to give inmates at the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a chance to appeal their convictions by U.S. military tribunals.

[klook]

1. What good is an appeal without protections?

Lawmakers said the limits on Guantanamo Bay inmates' use of the courts was part of a package to assert congressional oversight of the treatment of detainees and to restore the U.S. image in the wake of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and elsewhere.

Exactly how does this bill "restore the U.S. image in the wake of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and elsewhere"? By continuing to hide the truth?

[rocktivity]

2. BFD -- You have be charged before you can be tried and convicted

and as long as it's possible to be held indefinitely without charge, this is useless.

:boring:
rocknation

[Just Me]

3. I'm confused. I thought this gave the right to appeal "enemy combatant",.

,...status.

:shrug:

Oh, well, this nominal right to appeal is in addition to stricter anti-torture laws. So, I'm sure Dick and Rummy and the neocon gang are all pissed off!

[Been Fishing]

4. Democrats have become a Chicken Shit party

Rights and freedoms are available to be compromised and bargained away.

Which small "d" democrats joined the opposition in this violation of human justice?

[pushycat]

5. Linsey Graham and Carl Levin cooked up this compromise.

Saw Arlen Specter today on C-SPAN say these two worked out the compromise in secret and then brought it to the floor. He sounded a little miffed he was out of the loop as well as everyone else.

Why our Congressional buttheads think the world is not watching while we burn up all remants of civility with crap like this is unforgivable. Graham actually mentioned the compromise as 'saving face' for all concerned with this legislation. What a bunch of BS in Congress - crooks and liars.

[redqueen]

6. With Dems like that, who needs enemies?

Really, these guys are doing republicans a favor.

Keep it up, @$$&@(#$, maybe we can lose for real next time!

[Been Fishing]

8. I use to hate only republicans

With stupid actions like this, I'm beginning to hate dimwitted-crats.

[lovuian]

7. The Democrats seem to be voting for war and for no

habeas corpus... is this JUST for Gutanomo???

the senate is responsible for much of this!!!