The U.S. administration to abandon the plan for closure of Guantanamo prison and restart new processes within the military structure, following a decision by the Congress against the conduct of terrorism trials in U.S. courts, as he wanted but the president Obama. This was revealed by the American daily New York Times that Barack Obama's plan, which aims to close the notorious detention facility in Cuba, has aroused strong controversy among the members of the executive and has finally met a strong opposition from Congress, in favor of continue operating the prison.The decision of the Congress includes the resumption of military trials in special courts set up by the Cuban facility, another thorn in the side that Obama could not wait to take off. One of the main prisoners at Guantanamo whose trial might resume is in fact Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, Saudi citizen alleged to have planned the 2000 suicide bombing against the American warship USS Cole in Yemen that killed 17 sailors.
The lawyers of the prosecution have indicated that there would be no grounds to seek the death penalty for al-Nashiri, but will not be easy to obtain. Many of the evidence against the man could in fact have been obtained under torture during interrogation in so-called "black sites" of the CIA operating secret places where the American intelligence services.
The New York Times writes that, in unclear circumstances, the records of the interrogations were later destroyed, according to some on the order of Jose Rodriguez, head of the intelligence agency's clandestine operations. Al-Nashiri said that in many hearings have released a series of false statements obtained under torture, describing in detail to have suffered beatings, humiliation and even mock executions, to bet against seeing an electric drill and a gun.
During interrogation, Al-Nashiri confessed to having orchestrated the attack in Yemen and Osama Bin Laden was in possession of the atomic bomb. The circumstances on which is tacked to the process, remained in the background until now, could suddenly back on the scene - another hot potato for the president, just months after a resounding electoral drubbing in the midterm elections.
According to the newspaper in New York, will be the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to cancel the short order that blocked the establishment of new military tribunals - which he himself imposed on the first day of Obama in the White House in January 2009 - which will resume activity. There are currently 174 detainees at Guantanamo.
Over 30 of them could go to trial in the coming weeks. A government task force has requested that 48 more prisoners deemed "enemy combatants, are kept in prison custody indefinitely. Keep activity in Guantanamo is seen by analysts as a political defeat for President Obama, who had promised to shut down the prison over a year after his election.
Close the maximum security prison was one of the first points of the program of the newly elected Obama, in so doing, intended to slash the previous Bush administration and the negative reputation created around the prison and the Texan president. "The military facility at Guantanamo hurts U.S.
image," Obama told several times, willing to travel a different path in the fight against terrorism than its predecessor. With the attacks of 9 / 11, Guantanamo has become a compulsory stop for dozens of crimes of terrorism suspects and detained without trial for long periods. As revealed by numerous surveys, is now known as the prison was practiced physical and psychological torture of detainees - including the notorious "waterboarding, a practice of simulated drowning.
This and other techniques - deprivation of food, rest, sunlight - were used in large numbers at Guantanamo during the years of government of George W. Bush. In an interview with the Times for publishing his memoirs in December 2010, the former president had come to justify the use of torture on the alleged suspects detained in the Bay in Cuba.
In so doing, he had said he was certain that "he protected our streets," although most methods are often judged by cowboy as president of a democratic country. Obama hoped, in a short time to get the indelible black stain of Guantanamo behind. Now may trovarsela just a little 'near you: between the head and neck.
David Ghilotti
- Reneging on Guantánamo | Karen Greenberg (22/01/2011)
- Bianca Jagger: President Obama, Why Have You Forsaken Your Promise to Close Guantanamo? (11/01/2011)
- "WikiLeaks cables reveal reason for inaction on Gitmo" and related posts (23/01/2011)
- Congress vetoes Guantánamo closure (20/01/2011)
- Pen pals can give hope to Guantánamo prisoners | Cortney Busch (18/01/2011)
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