The New York Times, United States
The Guantanamo prison has long been the embodiment of arrogance and lawlessness of the Bush era. In 2008, Barack Obama has ignited the hopes of millions of people around the world
when, during the election campaign, has pledged to close it. On March 7, that hope has fallen victim to a lack of courage and the inability of Congress President to seek the political consensus to find a way out of the moral morass created by his predecessor.
The President announced that the processes of military commissions for detainees at Guantanamo would be resumed after a suspension for two years. A decision became inevitable after that - in December - the Congress with bipartisan vote prohibited the transfer of those pro-
processes in the United States, demonstrating the great-gliaccheria there. Obama says
want to close Guantanamo, but given the political composition of Congress, it is likely that the prison camp remains open. Beyond the symbolic value of its closing, the most important issue was the system of ine of indefinite detention in force in the field. The President has decided to formalize this system, with the executive order of March 7. The system applies to 47 prisoners who can not be prosecuted because the evidence against them secret or was obtained improperly (usually torture), but they can not be freed because they were considered dangerous
terrorists. The executive order Obama introduces some protections ever granted by the Bush administration for these prisoners. No doubt a step forward, as is required to use procedures that comply with international standards prohibiting torture and other inhuman treatment. But the administration has again chosen to permit the indefinite detention without trial, and that is a stain on American justice.
The tortures were stopped, and am glad to know that this tool unacceptable
no longer used with any prisoner. Maybe in the future Congress will wake up and restore the rule of law in Guantanamo. But for now, the injury to the reputation of the United States remains open
.
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