Guantanamo: Setback for Bush

[dancing-loon]

Major Guantanamo setback for Bush

Foreign suspects held in Guantanamo Bay have the right to challenge their detention in US civilian courts, the US Supreme Court has ruled.
In a major legal setback for the Bush administration, the court overturned by five to four a ruling upholding a 2006 law which removed such rights.

US President George W Bush said he would abide by the court's ruling even if he did not agree with it.
Human rights groups have welcomed the move, Amnesty International saying it was an "essential step forward towards the restoration of the rule of law".

This is the Bush administration's third setback at the highest US court since 2004 over its treatment of prisoners who are being held indefinitely and without charge at the base in Cuba.
The court has ruled twice previously that Guantanamo inmates could go into civilian courts to ask that the government justify their continued detention.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7451139.stm
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Now that Gonzales is gone it may be possible for the detainees to have a chance at a fair trial. Maybe young Omar will finally be freed!

I think, the Bush Admin. has gotten itself into a real mess with their detainees. That Bush is not threatening to use his veto power to stop the new ruling is a real ray of hope for the prisoners and the American people. This nightmare has to come to an end!!!

 

[talloola]

I'm glad they will get their chance in court, it is about time, as I'm sure there are many
who haven't done much of anything, BUT, now that all this time has passed, even they,
might have lots of anger built up, and won't be able to wait for 'revenge'.
Bush is an idiot.

 

[normbc9]

Hey Loon!
Just think. No Congress or any other body can over turn this ruling. Now we'll see what the entire justice system does in reaction to this ruling. I'll bet they try to get this quiet real quick. Maybe they'll talk about attacking Iran next to get the emphasisi off this historic happening.

 

[gopher]

Even the ultra right wing Supreme Court overturns the decisions of Bush's Justice {sic} Department. That tells you quite a bit about Bush's extremism and his hellbent intentions to destroy the Constitution.

 

[Risus]

I think every time Bush gets up in the morning, its a setback for him...

 

[Colpy]

This may surprize some people........but I think it is about time the Court started putting the brakes on some of the crap going on internally in the USA.

Good on Ya, Mate....as the Aussies say....

 

[gopher]

This may surprize some people........but I think it is about time the Court started putting the brakes on some of the crap going on internally in the USA.

Good on Ya, Mate....as the Aussies say....

Wow!!!

Am I ever surprised to see you say this!!! Up to now, you have defended Bush and have acted as if he could do no wrong. Don't know what brought about this change but am certainly glad to see it.

 

[dancing-loon]

Hey Loon!
Just think. No Congress or any other body can over turn this ruling. Now we'll see what the entire justice system does in reaction to this ruling. I'll bet they try to get this quiet real quick. Maybe they'll talk about attacking Iran next to get the emphasis off this historic happening.

Hi, Norm...
I just hope they succeed and stay firm. Bush still has the ultimate power, I think... am not quite sure. Haven't they done some wrangling before?

Here is another article....

Guantanamo ruling - the fallout

The long-running and so-far inconclusive battle between the Supreme Court and the Bush administration over Guantanamo Bay has been like a High School political science class brought to life.

A power struggle between two branches of government has been playing out over one of the defining issues of this presidential term.

Over the course of the last few years, the executive has had the upper hand over the judiciary.
Consider, for example, how the White House and the Pentagon managed to work their way around a previous Supreme Court decision in 2004 which appeared to guarantee the Guantanamo detainees a right of appeal to the civilian justice system.

In response to that judgement, the US government began what it called Combatant Status Reviews of the detainees and created legislation to set up military commissions - the quasi-legal bodies which have already begun hearing the evidence against the accused.
But with this latest ruling, the Supreme Court appears to have restored its authority in these matters by producing a ruling which will be much more difficult for the administration to ignore.

Huge implications
Whatever you think about the morality and legitimacy of the Guantanamo detention facility, there can be no doubting the determination of the Bush administration to stick to its policy, regardless of judicial attempts to undermine it.

The legal implications of Thursday's judgement are huge - after all, it is at least possible that it might end with American judges ordering the American government to release foreign detainees.The legal implications of Thursday's judgement are huge - after all, it is at least possible that it might end with American judges ordering the American government to release foreign detainees.

It means that even though the US government deliberately built this camp in an American base on the island of Cuba - so that it is not on American soil - and even though the detainees are not US citizens, they are deemed to have rights under the constitution.

The Bush argument that those rights are forfeited because America is fighting a "war on terror" was dismissed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7451914.stm
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Please, use the link to read the full article.

What is it exactly Bush and his cohorts are afraid of that might come to light through a legal court procedure? Doesn't the world already know everything about their human rights violations?

 

[normbc9]

Loon, If any one has the hidden escape artists on the staff Bush certainly has some. But he sure wasn't too spunky from the podium in Europe earlier tonight when he said he would abide by the decision but emphasized his dislike of the decision. The time on the trail for this cowboy and his cohort Dick Cheney is coming to a close. It will be interesting to see just how much wreckage he leaves for the new President to pick up.

 

[dancing-loon]

Bush and his gang are going over to The Hague right after they finally leave! But, for that he has also prepared ahead, so it can never happen. Americans can not be tried for war crimes!!

I didn't see him on TV. But I read that Italy is ready for a big anti-war rally.

IF McCain gets in, there might be more wreckage coming! I have heard people predict it would be more of the same under him.
Well, the choice is up to the American people!

 

[Colpy]

Wow!!!

Am I ever surprised to see you say this!!! Up to now, you have defended Bush and have acted as if he could do no wrong. Don't know what brought about this change but am certainly glad to see it.

Ah, Gopher.....you haven't been paying attention........I have many times on these threads attacked the use of military tribunals as obviously unconstitutional under the fifth amendment, I have expressed my wish that the Presidents of the USA (including Bush) actually read the Constitution they are sworn to up hold and defend, and I have oft attacked the Patriot Act, and I believe there is no excuse for torture..........

Likewise I have attacked anti-terror legislation here in Canada.

I am all for taking the fight to the Islamists in Afghanistan.............the belligerent enemies of western civilization have to be destroyed, that simple.....but it hardly makes sense to gut the body of our traditional rights in the attempt to defend it.......

I defend the USA because, for all her faults, she is much much much better than any of the alternative super-powers......

 

[dancing-loon]

Alternative Super-Powers.... like Russia? Or China? Is India also a super-power? Israel is probably one!

You are right, Colpy.... if I was an American and had the choice, I'd stay, simply, because the bad apples in power will leave sooner or later.

 

[thomaska]

The real shame in all this is the fact that the liberals are so rabid in their pursuit to do whatever they can to hurt Bush, they will throw America itself under the bus.

All the Libs can pat themselves on the back all they want, call this ruling justice, and throw big "feel-good" orgies for themselves, but they aren't giving Bush a setback at all. Bush won't be there when these guys are back in the field killing Americans.

So, good job Libs. I suppose its a good thing they weren't around when the Nazis were getting tried. I'm sure they would have given all of them a get out of jail free card too.

 

[I think not]

That Bush is not threatening to use his veto power to stop the new ruling is a real ray of hope for the prisoners and the American people. This nightmare has to come to an end!!!

The Presidents veto power doesn't apply here.

Bush cannot intervene in the Supreme court decision whether he wanted to or not, you're thinking of your very own "Notwithstanding Clause" to overturn Supreme Court decisions.

 

[I think not]

Even the ultra right wing Supreme Court overturns the decisions of Bush's Justice {sic} Department.

Did you look under your bed for monsters much when you were a kid?

Is everyone a ultra right winger when they have ideas different from your own?

 

[Praxius]

The real shame in all this is the fact that the liberals are so rabid in their pursuit to do whatever they can to hurt Bush, they will throw America itself under the bus.

Bush ran America over with the bus and backed over it several times since he's been in control... I don't think "The Liberals" could make it much uglier then it currently is.... which is a hammered bag of meat at this point.

All the Libs can pat themselves on the back all they want, call this ruling justice, and throw big "feel-good" orgies for themselves, but they aren't giving Bush a setback at all. Bush won't be there when these guys are back in the field killing Americans.

And of course there's that wonderful American attitude again, where everyone you captured is guilty before proven innocent.

Not to mention the talk of how innocent those Americans are being killed in the field.... you know... being in "Their" countries, killing their people, trying to take Their resources, trying to force your way of life on them, planting weapons and IED tools on the innocent you've killed, whom you were supposed to protect..... Oh.... and kidnapping and holding people in forign countries for as long as you please, all the while torturing, beating and drugging them..... oh and figuring out afterwards they wern't terrorists to begin with and then drop them off in some other country to leave them to figure out how to get back home and to start their lives over again.....

Yes.... the poor innocent Americans. *gives a golf clap for sympathy*

So, good job Libs. I suppose its a good thing they weren't around when the Nazis were getting tried. I'm sure they would have given all of them a get out of jail free card too.

That's got to be the stupidest thing I read today, including my own posts.

You know, it's funny when Canadians or any other nation relates the US to the Nazis, and then they get into a big freak storm crying that you can't even compare the two..... and then they turn around and try and compare the people they're torturing and holding for as long as they please as Nazis.... and then that's ok to do, because it's an American saying it about Terrorists.... no wait.... suspected terrorists (Remember, innocent until proven guilty)

Yeah, go ahead... express your sarcasm for your own courts for upholding the law and your own constitutional values..... it certainly shows a wonderful mentality. :roll: Clearly you either no longer believe in your country's "Original" values or you believe they should only apply to those who agree with you.

 

[dancing-loon]

The Presidents veto power doesn't apply here.

Bush cannot intervene in the Supreme court decision whether he wanted to or not, you're thinking of your very own "Notwithstanding Clause" to overturn Supreme Court decisions.

Thanks, ITN, for the enlightenment. I didn't know that, but assumed he could veto anything... like God... kind of!;-)

 

[gopher]

"I defend the USA because"

Nope. You've been defending Bush, not the USA. But change is good.




"Is everyone a ultra right winger when they have ideas different from your own?"

This coming from someone who uses "anti-komintern" when it doesn't even exist!

 

[darkbeaver]

This may surprize some people........but I think it is about time the Court started putting the brakes on some of the crap going on internally in the USA.

Good on Ya, Mate....as the Aussies say....

It dosn't surprize me at all Colpy, insturments of your ilk are always far behind the times and the facts.

 

[talloola]

It dosn't surprize me at all Colpy, insturments of your ilk are always far behind the times and the facts.

Wouldn't we love to see George Bush up on the witness stand, blubbering and sputtering
and pleading for his 'rich little life', no such thing will happen, just like he got out of
finishing his national guard stint, or not having to go to war, he will never be charged
with anything, and will go back to his ranch, and spout off, what a great president he was.
'yuk'.