The report, summarizing an investigation by five U.N. experts, called on the U.S. government "to close down the Guantanamo Bay detention center and to refrain from any practice amounting to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment."
The report's findings were based on interviews with former detainees, public documents, media reports, lawyers and a questionnaire filled out by the U.S. government.
Gee, based on interviews with terrorists, lawyers who represent the terrorists, and media reports about terrorist claims and their lawyers' reactions? No offense to Vice President Cheney, but those Gitmo detainees would be in more danger on a hunting trip with him than they are in Gitmo.
We are not impressed:
The White House rejected the recommendation to shut the prison.
"These are dangerous terrorists that we're talking about that are there," spokesman Scott McClellan said.
McClellan dismissed the report as a "rehash" of allegations previously made by lawyers for some detainees and said the military treats all prisoners humanely.
"We know that al-Qaida terrorists are trained in trying to disseminate false allegations," McClellan said.
The report, summarizing an investigation by five U.N. experts who did not visit Guantanamo, said photographic evidence and testimony of former prisoners showed that detainees were shackled, chained, hooded and beaten if they resisted.
And for the fact-challenged, these are not defendants entitled to have charges filed and court-appointed attorneys. They are unlawful combatants captured in war and under international law are not entitled to POW protections. We could have shot them out of hand when caught. That we have captured them anyway does not mean we must charge them.
And in fact, there is a review process for these thugs and suspected thugs. A couple hundred, I think, have been released--including some who returned to the war against us.
For the rest? They purchased the all-day ticket to Jihadworld. May they enjoy their stay. They are being treated humanely and we have every right to hold them until the war is over. Period.
Is the Human Rights Commission on one of the top ten floors of the UN building?
UPDATE: Bolton did check his messages, but he is apparently going to the source instead of diddling around with the rogue's gallery known as the Human Rights Commission.
