So the US Supreme Court just back handed President Bush with a 5-3 ruling which says military trials would be illegal at Guantanamo Bay Prison and violate the Geneva Convention. So what does the future hold for the 450 prisoners held at Gitmo?
Bush has stated, "I’d like to close Guantanamo." But he added, "I also recognize that we’re holding some people that are darn dangerous."
In a world that's so darn dangerous finding a place to stash all those forgien terrorists is getting harder and harder. Every time another reporter finds another sercret CIA prison abroad, it gets harder to put the Axis of Evil somewhere.
The minority dissent was extremely critical of the ruling saying it would undermine the President's ability to fight against terrorism. While the majority complained that "Congress has not issued the executive a 'blank check'." This will inevitably cause more international critisizm of the President and his Administration's policies. But that leads me to believe that the majority opinion may have been influenced by the monetary circumstances and not the principle of what is really happening in Cuba.
The status of the Guantanamo Prison facility isn't clear, and the ruling did nothing to state whether it should be shut down or not. From what I've read about the prison, those detained are treated fairly well and given every oppurtunity to worship according to their beliefs. But then there are other reports that over shadow that description. Three detainees have just commited suicide (unthinkable in Islam), and hunger strikes are common protests. Most of the prisoners are in their twenties, a few are just teenagers. Many of the prisoners are scheduled for release, but some still face more time while being charged for no crime.
What will happen to Gitmo? It will probably stay. Bush will be criticized even more, but not much will change. Another disaster could prompt justification for such facility. But who knows. I would expect that this ruling will do little to stop what Bush wants at the moment.
Update: 07/11/06
According to the Assosciated Press today, Bush announced that the US would extend basic Geneva Convention protection to those held captive at Guantanamo Bay.
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