Restarting military tribunals for detained terrorists
After supposedly putting an end to the black hole of justice found at Gitmo, President Obama is bringing back military tribunals for suspected terrorists.
Hours after taking the oath of office (the first time), President Obama put an end to military tribunals for terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and said they should be tried in civilian courts.
Well … they’re back:
In an apparent reversal, President Barack Obama is reviving the much-criticized military tribunals for Guantanamo Bay detainees and promising to make changes to the system that could jeopardize his timetable for closing the prison by January.
What a difference a few months makes. The White House began leaking the reversal a couple of weeks ago, because, well, governing is hard:
But in recent days a variety of officials involved in the deliberations say that after administration lawyers examined many of the cases, the mood shifted toward using military commissions to prosecute some detainees, perhaps including those charged with coordinating the Sept. 11 attacks.
“The more they look at it,” said one official, “the more commissions don’t look as bad as they did on Jan. 20.”
As a candidate, Obama denounced the Bush administration’s handling of suspected terrorists, calling the system a “legal black hole at Guantánamo.”
A black hole he’s now OK with keeping.
Sources:
Associated Press, May 15, 2009
Obama Revives Military Tribunals
Washington Post, May 16, 2009
Obama to Revamp Military Tribunals
New York Times, May 1, 2009
U.S. May Revive Guantánamo Military Courts
Washington Post, Jan. 21, 2009
Obama Seeks Halt to Legal Proceedings at Guantanamo
New York Times, Jan. 21, 2009
Obama Orders Halt to Prosecutions at Guantánamo
New York Times, June 13, 2008
