August 26, 2005

The Arrogance of Power

Why Guantanamo is dumb, in addition to being immoral:

Al Qaeda's increasing European profile suggests that Guantánamo is providing little useful intelligence. But Guantánamo and the rest of the U.S. detention apparatus are also actually undermining prosecution of the war on terrorism, because Europe won't accept evidence procured via torture or duress. In January, for example, British officials arrested Moazzam Begg, Feroz Abbasi, Martin Mubanga, and Richard Belmar--British nationals who had been recently released after being detained for three years at Guantánamo--immediately after they stepped off a plane at Heathrow Airport.

[snip}

There was only one problem: No information from Guantánamo Bay was admissible in British court, because it had been obtained under dubious legal circumstances. Despite the palpable worries British authorities had about them, all four walked out of a police station the next day, free men.

The Administration, the author argues, insists on keeping Guantanamo open not because we're still getting valuable information from prisoners there, but because the prison represents one of the Administration's unmentioned goals: to expand executive power and remove power from Congress and the judiciary. "For the administration, its expansion of executive power is synonymous with victory in the war--regardless of the real-world costs to the war effort."

I think we've all known that this Administration hates being checked by anyone or anything, be it Congress or the courts; this analysis just puts it into stark terms with examples.

Posted by Linkmeister at August 26, 2005 12:01 AM | TrackBack
Comments

And the connection here in many ways runs straight through . . . the Supreme Court nomination of John Roberts, who ruled for increased executive power and less oversite of that power at Guantanamo . . . just as he was nominated

Posted by: The Heretik at August 27, 2005 01:12 PM

Yeah, as important as Roe v. Wade is to some, I think his attitudes toward the commerce clause and executive branch power are even more potentially disastrous for the country.

Posted by: Linkmeister at August 27, 2005 01:22 PM

when you open a prison like Gitmo you set up two possibilities. Eventually you release your political prisoners, who gain much spiritual power from their time behind bars. Nelson Mandela is an example. Or you execute them and make them matyrs. Either way you end up helping the opposition.

Posted by: fixer at August 29, 2005 07:05 AM