Other countries free U.S. terror detainees

[maddezmom]

Decisions raise question of whether they posed a threat
Associated Press

The Pentagon called them "among the most dangerous, best-trained, vicious killers on the face of the Earth," sweeping them up after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and hauling them in chains to a U.S. military prison in southeastern Cuba.

Hundreds of the men have been transferred from Guantánamo Bay to other countries, many of them for continued detention -- and then they've been set free.

Decisions by more than a dozen countries in the Middle East, Europe and South Asia to release the former detainees raise questions about whether they were really as dangerous as the United States said or whether some of America's staunchest allies have set terrorists and militants free.

The United States does not systematically track what happens to detainees once they leave Guantánamo, the U.S. State Department said.

The Pentagon said detainees have been sent to 26 countries. The Associated Press tracked 245 of those formerly held at Guantánamo. The investigation, which spanned 17 countries, found that:

more:http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200612160300/NEWS07/612160369&template=printart

[HereSince1628]

1. We don't systematically track the most dangersous, best-trained, vicious killers

This post-Katrina moment brought to you by the GWOT.

[azurnoir]

2. Some freed within hours?

In other words this administration did not want to admit they had made a mistake? That is what this sounds like to me, if they had been released directly from Gitmo it would not have been quite so easy to keep it under the radar.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

3. ha!

A Canadian who was in Afghanistan told me that the entire time he was there locals would approach the Canadian troops claiming to have caught a terrorist and looking for a reward!

In one case the "terrorist" was a mentally retarded 15 yearold the family was trying to get rid of, and in another a guy quite literally brought them his little brother claiming that since Bin Laden had died this child was now the leader of Al Quadia!

I guess the difference is the US actually took the alledged terrorists!

[Quantess]

4. What an odd looking link......

I'm afraid to touch it. Is it "Free Press"? I want to be sure before clicking on it, LOL.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Detroit Free Press

you won't have to sanitize your computer if you go there. :)

[Quantess]

8. Thanks! You're right, it's not a toejam site.

This is another indicator of how other countries' esteem of the US has diminished.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. 205 out of 245 freed!

• Once the detainees arrived in other countries, 205 of the 245 were freed without being charged or were cleared of charges related to their detention. Forty stand charged or continue to be detained

[ToeBot]

7. My local paper ran a version of this on the front page...

"'Vicious killers' from Gitmo often freed by other countries". If you read the article to the end you may get the impression that what actually happened was hundreds of innocent people were freed after being unlawfully imprisoned and likely tortured, IF you make to the end.

[followthemoney]

9. Stalin chose to execute the many innocent arrested by mistake.

He didn't want to bring discredit on his security forces.

Will Bush sneak them out under the radar? Or will he begin trials and executions?

Remember, he already claims the right to hold illegal enemy combatants for ever without a trial. The only reason for a kangaroo court trial is to dispose of more evidence of his incompetence. Dead men tell no secrets.