Germany speaks out about Guantanamo captives

[dArKeR]

Germany's interior minister has criticised the United States for holding Afghan war captives without trial in an interview released shortly before the United States and German leaders meet for the first time in over a year.

Otto Schily told Der Spiegel magazine that captives held at the Guantanamo naval base in Cuba should be tried to establish if they did indeed pose a threat and they should be allowed access to legal advisers.

"Otherwise basic principles are lost," Schily said in the interview released on Saturday.

His comments come 10 days before US President George Bush's planned meeting with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, their first since Germany's opposition to the American build-up to the Iraq war damaged relations a year ago.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=3&art_id=qw1063458721812B265&set_id=1

[R Hickey]

1. If there's any country that would know a Concentration Camp...

when they see one, you'd think it would be Germany.

Of course the USA, with it's huge prison system, holding one forth of all the prisoners on earth, mostly non-violent, has now earned the title of "Least free nation on earth." And our concentration camp in Cuba, built by Cheney's Halliburton, is just the frosting on the cake. Perhaps next, Halliburton will re-invent the shower-style gas-chamber.

[Paschall]

2. Shrub didn't think he'd have to come back begging for help

Now this past crime--abusing the UN mandate in Afghanistan to illegally hold "enemy combattants" in violation of the Geneva Conventions--is coming back to haunt him.

Yet there are those who wonder why European reaction to his call for a UN bail-out has been tepid. :shrug:

[Athame]

3. Just a kick because this issue is so important

and so ignored.

:kick:

[gratuitous]

4. Chimpy will call off the meeting

Won't be able to find a cup small enough, because the Germans are going to kick him in the nads.