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]

Uhhh, the link appears to be inop.

[Brian Doherty]

Really? Which one? All working on my end.

[Rich Ard]

"joins"

[Brian Doherty]

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

[John-David]

Goddamn Navy pussy.

[MikeP]

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

[tepid channeling Willard]

I'd double gitmo.

-- Salesman-in-chief

[lunchstealer]

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]

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]

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]

"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]

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]

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

[Michael]

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]

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

[R C Dean]

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]

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]

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

Only today?

(I keed, I keed...)

[Mike Laursen]

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

[J sub D]

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]

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]

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

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

[J sub D]

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]

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

[Me]

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

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

[TrickyVic]

"""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?