Rumsfeld on Iraqi prisoners, and child prisoners at Guantanamo:
Regardless of how they and other (Iraqi) prisoners are handled, Rumsfeld said none will go to the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where 660 people from 42 countries are being held on suspicion of links to the al-Qaida terrorist network or the ousted Afghan Taliban regime.
``Regardless of what they are characterized as,'' whether prisoner of war or something else, the Iraqis will not go to Guantanamo, he said.
Part of the Bush administration's justification for going to war in Iraq was its allegation that Iraq has ties to terror groups, including al-Qaida.
Asked why Guantanamo Bay detention would not be suitable for Iraqi prisoners, Rumsfeld suggested that their situation is different because they are not part of a global terror network.
``The people we've got in Iraq are in large measure Iraqi people who belong in Iraq,'' he said. ``To the extent they have to be held for some period of time, it's a lot more convenient to hold them in Iraqi prisons than it is to build prisons in Guantanamo and transport them down there.''
In a related matter, Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard Myers, the Joint Chiefs chairman, who appeared at the same news conference, defended the legality and morality of holding three juveniles at Guantanamo. Myers said that regardless of their age, they pose a danger to the world.
``Some have killed. Some have stated they're going to kill again,'' Myers said. ``So they may be juveniles, but they're not on a Little League team anywhere. They're on a major league team, and it's a terrorist team. And they're in Guantanamo for very good reason; for our safety, for your safety.''
guardian.co.uk
So, not a single Iraqi prisoner, is going to Guantanamo. And the reason is, none of them, not a single one, is a member of an "global terror network". As I recall, the second-most-important reason we had to go to war, was because Iraq was such an important part of the global terror network, with such close ties to Al Queda.
The "they are going to kill again" comment, indicates they are being held for actions they might take in the future. Preventive detention is explicitly outlawed, in treaties the U.S. has signed.
The "it's a terrorist team" comment, indicates they are being punished for belonging to a group, not for individual action. Collective punishment is explicitly outlawed, in treaties the U.S. has signed. |
