NIMBY Pelosi

[Wagner]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009...tion-facility/

She is gung ho about closing GITMO, but when it was suggested that the inmates be moved to Alcatraz....."no way".


Not In My Back Yard

[Eric5273]

I don't see what the big deal is about these guys. Let them have their day in court, and if they are found guilty then put them in prison like any other criminal. If they are guilty of very violent crimes, then they will end up in a high security prison like any other mass murderer. Why is that such a problem?

And don't give me that crap about them not being American citizens and therefore not being worthy of constitutional rights. The founding fathers did not construct the Bill of Rights because they thought that only Americans should be given those rights. I believe the wording was "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights". "all men" includes those who are accused of being terrorists.

[UCrewX5]

What exactly does that have to do with Pelosi not wanting them housed in a prison in her home state?

[Eric5273]

Originally Posted by UCrewX5

What exactly does that have to do with Pelosi not wanting them housed in a prison in her home state?

Pelosi did not say she doesn't want them in her home state. She said Alcatraz is not an appropriate place. My point is that you don't need a special prison for them.

The point of closing Gitmo is not to open up another Gitmo in a different place, but to eliminate such a place alltogether.

[Wagner]

Originally Posted by Eric5273

I don't see what the big deal is about these guys. Let them have their day in court, and if they are found guilty then put them in prison like any other criminal. If they are guilty of very violent crimes, then they will end up in a high security prison like any other mass murderer. Why is that such a problem?

And don't give me that crap about them not being American citizens and therefore not being worthy of constitutional rights. The founding fathers did not construct the Bill of Rights because they thought that only Americans should be given those rights. I believe the wording was "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights". "all men" includes those who are accused of being terrorists.

FYI: They aren't US citizens, so they don't fall under US beliefs and structures

[Viperfreak2]

This may be common knowledge, but I don't know the answer.

Why do we have a prison in Cuba? Why did Cuba allow it? What other country could set up a prison in like this in foreign land?

Can you imagine China taking a small slice of California coastline, saying this is OURS, we will build a prison camp there, detain Tibet 'criminals' there, and there's nothing the US can do about it.

[Eric5273]

Originally Posted by Viperfreak2

This may be common knowledge, but I don't know the answer.

Why do we have a prison in Cuba? Why did Cuba allow it? What other country could set up a prison in like this in foreign land?

Can you imagine China taking a small slice of California coastline, saying this is OURS, we will build a prison camp there, detain Tibet 'criminals' there, and there's nothing the US can do about it.

Cuba became the ownership of the United States after the Spanish American War. When we granted Cuba its independence, we kept a small part of it for a military base.

Currently the United States has military bases in more than half of the countries in the world. I think at last count it was about 130 countries.

[Viperfreak2]

I understand we have bases all over the world, but you would have thought Castro would have told us to get out of his country after the revolution. My guess is we threatened military action if he tried to take back the land?

After the prison closes, we still maintain the military base, permanently?

[Eric5273]

Originally Posted by Viperfreak2

I understand we have bases all over the world, but you would have thought Castro would have told us to get out of his country after the revolution. My guess is we threatened military action if he tried to take back the land?

After the prison closes, we still maintain the military base, permanently?

There is a lease which was signed in 1934 by the Cuban government which requires the United States to pay $3k per year to lease the base from the Cuban government. The lease states that it is to stay in effect unless both governments agree to break it. Since the revolution, the US government has continued to make the lease payment every year, but the Cuban government has not cashed the checks and has claimed the lease is not valid under international law.

[Viperfreak2]

Now I understand. Thanks.