Comments on: Barack Obama’s Convention Speech: “The American Promise”

By: Andy Worthington

Andy Worthington — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:16:39 +0000

And here’s some more inspirational talk from Barack Obama, following the Supreme Court’s ruling in June that the Guantánamo prisoners have constitutional habeas corpus rights; in other words, the right to challenge the basis of their detention before an impartial judge.

After the ruling, Obama called it “an important step toward reestablishing our credibility as a nation committed to the rule of law, and rejecting a false choice between fighting terrorism and respecting habeas corpus.”

He followed this by telling ABC News, “Let’s take the example of Guantánamo. What we know is that in previous terrorist attacks, for example, the first attack against the World Trade Center, we were able to arrest those responsible, put them on trial. They are currently in US prisons, incapacitated. And the fact that the administration has not tried to do that has created a situation where not only have we never actually put many of these folks on trial, but we have destroyed our credibility when it comes to rule of law all around the world.”

Contrast with John McCain’s views:
http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2008/06/19/john-mccain-torture-puppet-senator-ignores-mounting-evidence-of-torture-and-abuse-in-war-on-terror-prisons-including-guantanamo/

By: RaisahE_1

RaisahE_1 — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:36:39 +0000

hhhhhmmmmmm………..

Big talk Mr (potential) President!!

Lets hope you see them through.

Take care Andy!

WITH GREAT POWER THERE MUST ALSO COME – - GREAT RESPONSIBILITY! and with that eventually will come the Great Accountability..

By: Andy Worthington

Andy Worthington — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:43:45 +0000

Yes, I knew Obama wasn’t going to get into the specifics of the injustice of Guantánamo in his Convention Speech, but I don’t doubt his commitment to closing the prison and restoring the United States to the rule of law:

This is what he said in Washington DC last August: “[I]n the dark halls of Abu Ghraib and the detention cells of Guantánamo, we have compromised our most precious values. What could have been a call to a generation has become an excuse for unchecked presidential power. A tragedy that united us was turned into a political wedge issue used to divide us.”

He added, “When I am President, America will reject torture without exception. America is the country that stood against that kind of behavior, and we will do so again,” and he made the following pledge with regard to Guantánamo: “I also will reject a legal framework that does not work … I have faith in America’s courts, and I have faith in our JAGs [the military lawyers of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps]. As President, I will close Guantánamo, reject the Military Commissions Act, and adhere to the Geneva Conventions. Our Constitution and our Uniform Code of Military Justice provide a framework for dealing with the terrorists.”

For more, see:
http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2008/01/30/style-and-substance-guantanamo-lawyers-back-obama/