Gitmo Sell-Out Near

March 19, 2010  |  Posted by Ryan Anderson

This morning the Wall Street Journal reports that the White House is close to giving-in to the baseless attacks of his right-wing critics and giving-up on the Constitution and the rule of law. In exchange for Sen. Lindsey Graham's support in closing Gitmo, President Obama would put Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other top terror suspects before military commissions, while nearly 50 unnamed prisoners would be kept in legal limbo, held without charge or trial indefinitely.

We can't let President Obama sell-out our values and continue some of the Bush/Cheney Administration's worst practices. Click here to tell President Obama: "No deal!"

The Wall Street Journal:

Any such deal would represent the final repudiation of Mr. Holder's November decision to bring the 9/11 plotters to civilian trial in New York City, and a switch for the White House, which suspended the Bush-era military commissions as one of its first acts in office. The White House and the Justice Department appear to be at loggerheads on the matter, and Justice Department officials say they are not a party to the negotiations.

The framework of the deal is being led in Congress by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Mr. Graham wants civilian courts to be reserved for low-level Al Qaeda operatives and terrorist financiers, a far smaller group than previously considered.

Forty-eight Guantanamo prisoners—men who cannot be convicted in court but deemed too dangerous for release—would face indefinite detention without trial. Democrats are willing to expand the number of detainees brought before military commissions, but want more discretion than in Mr. Graham's proposal.

WHAT? Forty-eight prisoners will just disappear into legal limbo? Never to be seen again? Conservatives love to harangue about how "our" Constitution doesn't give rights to foreigners, which is sort of like saying it's ok to kick someone else's dog. What makes the Constitution strong, and America such a great nation, is that we hold ourselves to a high standard. The Bill of Rights, with its protection against unreasonable search and seizure, guarantee of due process and trial-by-jury, was created by our founding fathers in large part to prevent just this scenario and keep the United States government for detaining individuals, without charge or trial, forever. The question is not whether some practices should be permissable because the detainee isn't an American, its how we as a people act, and how the government we've created acts. What are the values we chose to live?

This is no less a violation of the basic human rights of those detainees because they're not American. That's why Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees everyone the right to a fair trial, regardless of nationality. That President Obama has so lost his way that he would consider giving up on such a fundamental right is mind-boggling. Making this deal with Sen. Graham for the political win of "closing Gitmo" is a complete 180 from his promise as candidate Obama to depoliticize the Justice Department.

Help President Obama find his way back to American values. Tell him "No deal!" with Sen. Graham.

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