US rejects Guantanamo closure call

[cal04]

The US Government has rejected a call by a senior British Minister to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Britain's Attorney-General, Lord Peter Goldsmith, says Guantanamo Bay has become a symbol of injustice. He says its existence is unacceptable. "It is time in my view that it should close," Lord Goldsmith said. It is the strongest criticism yet from the British Government - Prime Minister Tony Blair has only gone as far as calling the detention centre an "anomaly".

But US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says if Guantanamo Bay is closed, terrorist suspects held there could end up killing Americans. "We'd like nothing better than at some point in the future to close down Guantanamo, nobody wants to be a jailer for the world," he said. "But the fact of the matter is that the people there are dangerous people. "We know one thing we don't want to do is release people now who might at some point in the future end up on the battlefield facing our troops, or somebody's else's troops, or committing acts of terrorism against innocent civilians."

Australia satisfied
Nearly 500 detainees, including South Australian David Hicks, are being held at Guantanamo Bay. Australia's Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, says his British counterpart is entitled to make his personal views known about Guantanamo Bay. But Mr Ruddock says the Australian Government believes the military commission at the detention centre is capable of delivering a fair outcome.

Mr Ruddock says Australia has raised a number of concerns about Guantanamo Bay and the process for prosecuting prisoners there. But he believes modifications have been made to address them. Prime Minister John Howard says Australia's position is that Hicks should be brought to trial without further delay. "Our view is that if Hicks comes back to Australia without having gone through any military commission trial in the United States, he can't be charged here," he said. "I've said before I don't regard that as a satisfactory outcome given the severity of the allegations made against him."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1635805.htm

[Vidar]

1. "Arsenal for Democracy" under FDR; "jailer for the world" under *

[grytpype]

3. word

[0007]

2. junior wants to close down Gitmo.....he said so the other day....wink wink

[AlamoDemoc]

4. lol...he sure did...wink wink

[Don1]

5. What a bunch of neocon liars.

Poor Sean McCormack really, really wants to close Guantanamo, he just cannot. The terrusts are making him keep it open.

"Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington would "like nothing better than to close down Guantánamo", but that it could not be done at present."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1772633,00.html