posted June 22, 2005 03:51 PM            

Dick Durbin has now apologized...but only to those who thought his comments crossed the line when he accused America's military of behaving like Nazi Gestapo, Soviet KGB, and Pol Pot's killers in Cambodia. That isn't nearly good enough. Durbin needs to resign his Senate seat altogether or at least his # 2 Democrat position in the Senate.

Trent Lott was guilty of far less when he resigned as Senate Majority Leader.

7 of 10 say Gitmo treatment
not unfair
36% says detainees being treated 'better than they deserve'
June 22, 2005
2:52 p.m. Eastern
2005 WorldNetDaily.com

A new poll reveals seven of 10 Americans believe the terror detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp are being treated "better than they deserve" or "about right."

The poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports found 36 percent of respondents believe the prisoners are being treated "better than they deserve," while 34 percent said "about right."

Just 20 percent of Americans polled believed detainees have been treated unfairly.

The issue of prisoner management was heightened last week when Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on the floor of the U.S. Senate, compared treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay to the Nazi Gestapo, Soviet KGB, and Pol Pot's killers in Cambodia.

On June 14, Durbin read an e-mail message from an FBI agent describing alleged prisoner abuse. The senator said if he didn't identify the source of the information "you would most certainly believe this must have happened by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags or some mad regime – Pol Pot or others – that had no concern for human beings."

Yesterday, Durbin took to the Senate floor to apologize.

"Some may believe that my remarks crossed the line," the Senate's No. 2 Democrat said. "To them I extend my heartfelt apologies."

The Rasmussen poll found 14 percent agree that prisoner treatment at Gitmo is similar to Nazi tactics. Sixty-nine percent disagree with that comparison.

There were stark differences of opinion based on party affiliation with just 7 percent of Republicans saying Guantanomo prisoners are treated unfairly. Thirty percent of Democrats hold that view along with 22 percent of those not affiliated with either major party.

posted June 22, 2005 11:18 PM            

20% Say Gitmo Prisoners Treated Unfairly

79% Say No English, No Citizenship

52% See Global Warming as Serious Threat

Howard Dean: 25% Favorable, 40% Unfavorable

Bush Job Approval at 49%

Hillary Meter: 44% Liberal

Forty-one percent (41%) of Americans say their personal finances are good or excellent

67% Say Immigrants Should Adopt U.S. Culture

29% Say Economy Most Important Issue

46% Say Supreme Court Too Hostile Towards Religion

51% Say Social Security Needs Fixing:

GOP Generation--2004 Edition

posted June 24, 2005 01:45 PM            

If you still have any doubts about whether closing Guantanamo is the right thing to do, Jimmy Carter recently cleared that up by demanding that it be closed. With any luck, he'll try to effect another one of those daring "rescue" attempts. Here's a foolproof method for keeping America safe: Always do the exact 180-degree opposite of whatever Jimmy Carter says as quickly as possible. (Instead of Guantanamo, how about we close down the Carter Center?)

Sen. Dick Durbin says it is reminiscent of the "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags or some mad regime — Pol Pot or others." (He then offered the typical Democrat "if/then" non-apology: i.e., "if my remarks offended anyone," based on the rather remote possibility any sentient, English-speaking adult who didn't hate America could have heard them and not been offended.)

Amnesty International calls Guantanamo a "gulag." Sen. Teddy Kennedy says he cannot condone allegations of near-drowning "as a human being." And Sen. Patrick Leahy calls it "an international embarrassment," as opposed to himself, a "national embarrassment."

On the bright side, at least liberals have finally found a group of people in Cuba whom they think deserve to be rescued.

In the interests of helping my country, I have devised a compact set of torture guidelines for Guantanamo.

It's not torture if:

— The same acts performed on a live stage have been favorably reviewed by Frank Rich of The New York Times;

— Andrew Sullivan has ever solicited it from total strangers on the Internet;

— You can pay someone in New York to do it to you;

— Karen Finley ever got a federal grant to do it;

— It's comparable to the treatment U.S. troops received in basic training;

— It's no worse than the way airlines treat little girls in pigtails flying to see Grandma.

It turns out that the most unpleasant aspect of life at Guantanamo for the detainees came with the move out of the temporary "Camp X-Ray." Apparently, wanton homosexual sex among the inmates is more difficult in their newer, more commodious quarters. (Suspiciously, detainees retailing outlandish tales of abuse to the ACLU often include the claim that they were subjected to prolonged rectal exams.) Plus, I hear the views of the Caribbean aren't quite as good from their new suites.

Even the tales of "torture" being pawned off by the detainees on credulous American journalists are pretty lame.

The Washington Post reported that a detainee at Guantanamo says he was "threatened with sexual abuse." (Bonus "Not Torture" rule: If it is similar to the way interns were treated in the Clinton White House.)

"Sign or you will be tortured!"

"What's the torture?"

"We will merely threaten you with horrible things!"

"That's it?"

"Shut up and do as we say, or we'll issue empty, laughable threats guaranteed to amuse you. This is your last warning."

One detainee in Afghanistan told a hyperventilating reporter for Salon that he was forced to stand with his arms in the air for "hours." Doctor, I still have nightmares about the time I was forced to stand with my arms up in the air ...

Others claimed they were forced into uncomfortable, unnatural positions, sort of like the Democrats' position on abortion. Next, the interrogators will be threatening to slightly undercook the Lemon Chicken!

According to Time magazine, this is how the "gulag of our time" treats the inmates: "The best-behaved detainees are held in Camp 4, a medium-security, communal-living environment with as many as 10 beds in a room; prisoners can play soccer or volleyball outside up to nine hours a day, eat meals together and read Agatha Christie mysteries in Arabic."

So they're not exactly raping the detainees with dogs at Guantanamo. (I still think the gift shop T-shirts that say "My dad went to Guantanamo and all I got was this lousy T-shirt" goes too far.)

The only question is: Why do Democrats take such relish in slandering their country? If someone was constantly telling vicious lies about you, would you believe they supported and loved you?

"I love John Doe, and that's why I accuse him of committing serial rape and mass murder. Oh, he doesn't do that? Yes, but how dare you say I don't love John Doe!"

posted June 26, 2005 06:57 PM            

Source: Reuters

GENEVA, June 23 (Reuters) - U.N. human rights investigators on Thursday accused the United States of stalling on their request to visit foreign terror suspects at U.S.-run prisons in Iraq, Afghanistan and at Guantanamo Bay.

They said they had had no reply to their year-old request to probe "serious allegations of torture", arbitrary detention and violations of the right to health and due process at Guantanamo.

"We deeply regret that the government of the United States has still not invited us to visit those persons arrested, detained or tried on grounds of alleged terrorism or other violations in Iraq, Afghanistan, or the Guantanamo Bay naval base," the four rights investigators said in a statement.

"The lack of a definitive answer despite repeated requests suggests that the United States is not willing to cooperate with the United Nations human rights machinery on this issue," they added.

Their request to visit followed the scandal sparked by photographs taken in the U.S.-run prison of Abu Ghraib in Iraq, showing inmates, some in hoods, being sexually humiliated by soldiers and intimidated with dogs.

The investigators have global U.N. mandates to probe allegations of torture and arbitrary detention as well as ensuring that rights to health and judicial independence are upheld.

Activists have expressed alarm that many people arrested since the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on the United States have been held for more than three years without charges being laid, often incommunicado, in a legal blackhole facilitating mistreatment.

The Pentagon says it is holding 520 men in Guantanamo, mainly detained in Afghanistan. Only four have been charged.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L23129304.htm

US ’stalling’ over UN access to prisons
Stephanie Nebehay

Reuters

GENEVA — Four United Nations (UN) human rights investigators yesterday accused the US of stalling on their request to visit foreign terrorism suspects at US-run prisons in Iraq, Afghanistan and Cuba.

The investigators said the US had not replied to a request to probe “serious allegations of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment”, arbitrary detention and violations of detainees’ rights to health and due process at Guantanamo Bay.

“We deeply regret that the government of the US has still not invited us to visit those persons arrested, detained or tried on grounds of alleged terrorism or other violations in Iraq, Afghanistan, or the Guantanamo Bay naval base.

“The lack of a definitive answer, despite repeated requests, suggests the US is not willing to co-operate with the UN human rights machinery on this issue.” They said no state was above global human rights law.

The request followed a scandal sparked by photographs taken in the US-run Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, showing inmates, some in hoods, being sexually humiliated by soldiers and intimidated with dogs.

Activists have expressed alarm that many people arrested since the September 11 2001 attacks on the US have been held for more than three years without charges being laid, often incommunicado, in a legal black hole that they say facilitates mistreatment.

The investigators, who report to the UN Commission on Human Rights, held talks in early April with Pierre-Richard Prosper, acting US ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues.

Washington said on May 20 the request was “still under serious consideration”, but the UN investigators said yesterday that “ample time” had now elapsed since the meeting with Prosper. http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A60424

------------------------------

posted June 26, 2005 07:39 PM              

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: June 19, 2005

WASHINGTON, June 18 (AP) - A subsidiary of Halliburton, Kellogg Brown & Root Services, has been awarded $30 million to build a 220-bed prison for terrorism suspects at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, the Pentagon announced Friday.

The prison is to include day rooms, exercise areas and medical bays, air-conditioning and a security control room, the Pentagon said. It is to be completed by July 2006.

The prison "is designed to be safer for the long-term detention of detainees and the guards," said a statement provided by a Pentagon spokesman. "It is also expected to require less manpower to operate."

The job is part of a larger contract that could be worth up to $500 million through 2010, the Pentagon said.