Close Gitmo, Says Joint Chiefs Chair

Adm. Mike Mullen, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joins the futile chorus calling for the shutdown of the prison at Guantanamo. As the article notes, no less a hands-tied carper than President Bush has also said in the past that, gee, he'd like to....

Link via Rational Review.

Gitmo, as covered by reason.

Comments

J sub D | January 14, 2008, 1:18pm | #

Uhhh, the link appears to be inop.

Brian Doherty | January 14, 2008, 1:22pm | #

Really? Which one? All working on my end.

Rich Ard | January 14, 2008, 1:27pm | #

"joins"

Brian Doherty | January 14, 2008, 1:31pm | #

Hm. Works for me. Not sure what to do about that.

John-David | January 14, 2008, 1:32pm | #

Goddamn Navy pussy.

MikeP | January 14, 2008, 1:34pm | #

Get me the President on the phone right away. We're surrendering our position in Cuba.

tepid channeling Willard | January 14, 2008, 1:35pm | #

I'd double gitmo.

-- Salesman-in-chief

lunchstealer | January 14, 2008, 1:37pm | #

Gee, "I'd like to close Guantanamo, but I also recognize that we're holding some people there that are darn dangerous and that we better have a plan to deal with them in our courts,"

Read: Keeping Gitmo open helps me keep them out of the courts.

J sub D | January 14, 2008, 1:40pm | #

OK, all better now. Maybe I'm an internet moron today.

So, it's a PR problem, not a Human rights one. Glad we got that cleared up.

Marcvs | January 14, 2008, 1:48pm | #

If they're such "high security threats", then you would hope that they have enough evidence to try them. If not, how come they are such "high security threats"? I'm not against holding some of these guys in a military prison for the rest of their goddamn lives, but they should get some sort of trial if they aren't going to be labeled POWs. If, however, they are POWs, then they deserve better treatment than they are getting (cf. German POWs during WWII).

Grammarian | January 14, 2008, 1:58pm | #

"Close Gitmo, Says Joint . . ."

OK, singular verb.

". . . Chiefs . . ."

Oops, need a plural verb!

". . . Chair"

D'oh! Bring back that singular verb!

Drat those tricky Reason headline writers!

Ayn_Randian | January 14, 2008, 2:00pm | #

So, it's a PR problem, not a Human rights one. Glad we got that cleared up.

They have a tendency to go together. Hence why the best way for America to strengthen liberty abroad is to set a good example.

Ayn_Randian | January 14, 2008, 2:04pm | #

Grammarian - the proper title "Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff" would be a little cumbersome for a blog post.

Michael | January 14, 2008, 2:30pm | #

John-David, you would shudder if you knew how close your flippant comment actually came to describing the social climbing, empty suit Michael G. Mullen. It's a PR problem and makes the Navy look bad, hence Mullen is against it. If the country and the world didn't make such a big deal about GITMO, Mullen wouldn't give the fate of the detainees a second thought.

James | January 14, 2008, 2:36pm | #

The first Republican to say 'Triple Gitmo' I predict will win the primary.

R C Dean | January 14, 2008, 2:38pm | #

So, it's a PR problem, not a Human rights one. Glad we got that cleared up.

They have a tendency to go together.

I'm looking around for countries that have bad human rights (plenty of those) that also have bad PR because of it (some) that also have suffered real world consequences from said bad PR (hmmm.)

R C Dean | January 14, 2008, 2:40pm | #

In this day of nuclear warships and whatnot, why don't we just pull out of Gitmo altogether. Really, other than sticking a thumb in Castro's eye (which certainly has its value) what do we need it for?

As part of a major overseas base closing campaign, of course. I can't imagine why we need any bases in Europe at all, other than maybe a few forward supply depots.

Andrew | January 14, 2008, 2:52pm | #

OK, all better now. Maybe I'm an internet moron today.

Only today?

(I keed, I keed...)

Mike Laursen | January 14, 2008, 3:07pm | #

Has the U.S. ever shut down any foreign military base once it has acquire a bowling alley?

J sub D | January 14, 2008, 3:36pm | #

Has the U.S. ever shut down any foreign military base once it has acquire a bowling alley?

The Phillipines asked (told actually) us to leave Subic Bay. At least two bowling alleys and six clubs. The base hade very amenity imaginable. Golf course, archery range, SCUBA rentals, a Baskin Robbins, department store, scads of restaurants, movie theaters, you name it. We're gone.

Mike Laursen | January 14, 2008, 3:46pm | #

Golf course, archery range, SCUBA rentals, a Baskin Robbins, department store, scads of restaurants, movie theaters, you name it. We're gone.

Damn! I may have to change my mind about being a non-interventionist. I'm not sure I could give all of that up.

TrickyVic | January 14, 2008, 3:57pm | #

"""The Phillipines asked (told actually) us to leave Subic Bay."""

The stories I've heard from Marines that were stationed there.

J sub D | January 14, 2008, 5:56pm | #

The stories I've heard from Marines that were stationed there.

It was an unusual place indeed. I, of course, spent all of my liberty time at the library, but I heard stories...

bigbigslacker | January 14, 2008, 6:31pm | #

Ha, a talking chair. I bet he's a "joint chief" all right - probably done a little acid too.

Me | January 14, 2008, 11:00pm | #

Cut all their throats - it's the Islamic way.

Actually, lard 'em with bacon and bury 'em alive in hog fat.

TrickyVic | January 15, 2008, 4:49pm | #

"""It was an unusual place indeed. I, of course, spent all of my liberty time at the library, but I heard stories..."""

Is library a code name for den of the peso dance?