Who's at Gitmo

There have been plenty of previous reports--flagged by me a few times. That most of those at Gitmo were, at most, Taliban foot soldiers. But as I mentioned last week, looks like it's actually worse than that. From a study done by some lawyers for Gitmo detainees, based solely on Pentagon press releases:

1. Fifty-five percent (55%) of the detainees are not determined to have committed any hostile acts against the United States or its coalition allies.

2. Only 8% of the detainees were characterized as al Qaeda fighters. Of the remaining detainees, 40% have no definitive connection with al Qaeda at all and 18% are have no definitive affiliation with either al Qaeda or the Taliban.

3. The Government has detained numerous persons based on mere affiliations with a large number of groups that in fact, are not on the Department of Homeland Security terrorist watchlist. Moreover, the nexus between such a detainee and such organizations varies considerably. Eight percent are detained because they are deemed "fighters for;" 30% considered "members of;" a large majority - 60% -- are detained merely because they are "associated with" a group or groups the Government asserts are terrorist organizations. For 2% of the prisoners their nexus to any terrorist group is unidentified.

4. Only 5% of the detainees were captured by United States forces. 86% of the detainees were arrested by either Pakistan or the Northern Alliance and turned over to United States custody. This 86% of the detainees captured by Pakistan or the Northern Alliance were handed over to the United States at a time in which the United States offered large bounties for capture of suspected enemies.

5. Finally, the population of persons deemed not to be enemy combatants - mostly Uighers - are in fact accused of more serious allegations than a great many persons still deemed to be enemy combatants.

Many of these guys are being held on the basis of super-sketchy heresay.

The U.S. seems to continue to have extremely limited knowledge/intel about jihadists and it's making decisions without significant accountability.  That's a disasterous combo.

Comments

[David Thomson]

"That's a disasterous combo."

Life sucks and then you die. We are in a war and can only do our best. I notice that you are complaining---but what do you suggest?

Did somebody promise you a rose garden? If so, you should punch them in the nose. They sure lied to you.

[Crabtabulous Phantasmagar]

"We are in a war and can only do our best."

Somehow, I think establishing Terrorist Manufacturing Centers at home and abroad is not "our best". If you don't think we're capable of resisting penny-ante terrorists without committing gross injustice and un-American atrocities (even against our own citizens), then YOU are being not just an apologist, but a defeatist.

[Crabtabulous Phantasmagar]

Just in case I wasn't being clear enough for David:

The people you're so happy to defend are turning the United States of America into something that's not worth fighting for. People like you are helping them dismantle the most glorious thing that ever has existed on the face of this planet, and you're doing it out of fear.

[Kris Snow]

Well David Thomson, life may suck, and we will eventually all die, but we don't have to participate in an ignorant ideology that has people being imprisoned for no reason. Once you are convinced that such associative imprisonments are justified, you have been convinced to suspend your own rationality, a characteristic associated with the very jihadists you live in fear of.

[jon]

Detaining innocents is unavoidable, regardless as to the ideology you currently subscribe. It may be wrong, it may be deplorable, but sometimes friends look like enemies; and a lot of times non-threats look like threats.

Even further, I'd imagine that as a high ranking government official, it would be nearly impossible to micromanage to the extent that no person would fall through the cracks, regardless of your political leaning.

In this short life, with the human condition's limited perceptive ability, it's difficult to gauge an actual personal threat versus a perceived personal threat.

So, the guy leering at me as I walk out of the coffee shop may not be planning to mug me, but he is leering at me, so should I take any given action (walking faster, confronting him, calling attention to the situation)? Or should I ignore him, thereby open myself up to attack?

There comes a point where protecting yourself and those you care about is paramount to being politically correct.

Meaning, I'd much rather someone I don't know be detained temporarily, than have someone I love be harmed. As long as whoever is being detained is freed after they've been cleared.

Now, you disagree with Dave, but I'd wager that he's probably not afraid of Jihadists, black people, Mexicans, Muslims, ferry wheels, kittens, or hammers; but I would wager that you think he's afraid of at least a few of those things. And that's fine, to each his own I say.

But it is unfair to attach traits to those you have limited information about.

For example, I know I disagree with your claim that since David doesn't have sympathy towards potential terrorists that he's afraid. That doesn't mean I'm willing to assign other traits to your personality (because I don't know you).

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Well David Thomson, life may suck, and we will eventually all die, but we don't have to participate in an ignorant ideology that has people being imprisoned for no reason. Once you are convinced that such associative imprisonments are justified, you have been convinced to suspend your own rationality, a characteristic associated with the very jihadists you live in fear of.