Cheney and Kristol do Orwell

October 22, 2009  |  Posted by Tom Andrews

Liz Cheney and Bill Kristol of the group "Keep America Safe" were quick to attack us yesterday releasing a scathing response to the launch of our campaign "Close Guantanamo Now."  According to their statement, those being held at Guantanamo “are dedicated to killing Americans”.  And, besides, they went on, “Guantanamo Bay is a secure, safe, humane facility”.  Why on earth should Congress allow the Obama administration to close it?

George Orwell, meet Liz Cheney and Bill Kristol.

Those "dedicated to killing Americans" include Arkin Mahmud, a Uighur from China. The Bush administration determined six years ago that he was not an enemy of America and a federal judge ordered him and the other Uighurs wrongly imprisoned at Guantanamo to be released a year ago.  Thanks to the hysteria whipped-up by the Cheneys and their right-wing allies on and off Capitol Hill, Congress has blocked their release into the United States. Bermuda and the island nation of Palau have agreed to the administration’s request to accept the Uighurs, but their invitation does not include Mr. Mahmud. Why? Because the “safe” and "humane" treatment that Liz Cheney praises at Guantanamo has literally driven him insane. It seems that Mr. Mahmud does not appreciate the humanness of the long periods of captivity in solitary confinement that he has had to endure at Guantanamo.  Mr. Mahhud’s brother, who is also enjoying safe and humane treatment at Guantanmo, has been offered an exit to Palau, but he refuses to leave his brother behind. So, these two "enemies" of America, who are "dedicated to killing Americans" will remain at Guantanamo indefinitely.

In short, Mr. Mahmud is being incarcerated at Guantanamo because of what he suffered at the hands of his captors and, by extension the US Congress the citizens of this country.
Cheney said yesterday that: "Americans expect their President to defend them from terrorists, not usher terrorists into the homeland".  Who will defend us against the right-wing extremists who are trampling the constitution, denigrating our core values and assaulting the moral standing of the United States? Who will defend us from the right-wing hysteria that seeks to frighten Americans and intimidate Congress? Who will stand up for Arkin Mahmud, a now severely disabled man who desperately needs mental health treatment for the damage that was done to him at "safe" and "humane" Guantanamo?

You and I, that’s who.

Sign the letter. Close Guantanamo now.

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