Shameful: This is the world's view on Guantanamo Bay.

"The US should try all 500 detainees at Guantanamo, who still include eight British residents, or free them without further delay. To hold someone for up to four years without charge clearly indicates a society that is heading towards George Orwell's Animal Farm." - Archbishop of York(!) - I think he meant to say '1984', though...

I just thought I'd start of with this ^ quote from a religious leader who actually seems to have his head screwed on.

How can the US government continue to hold more than 500 people for nearly 3 years without any sort of charge? How can the US government get away with the continuing torture of detainees? How can the US government proclaim the absolute power of freedom, while denying it to these people absolutely? It is despicable.

Some more quotes:

Desmond Tutu, Ex-Archbishop of Cape Town:

"It's a horrendous blot on the image of what was supposed to be the only superpower... They've held people for unconscionably long periods."

Peter Hain, Northern Ireland Secretary:

"I would prefer that it wasn't there and I would prefer it was closed... [Asked if Tony Blair agreed] I think so. Yes."

Angela Merkel, German Chancellor

"An institution like Guantanamo cannot and should not exist in the longer term. Different ways and means must be found ..."

Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General

"There will be a need to close Guantanamo... It will be up to the [US] government to decide, and hopefully... as soon as is possible."

What are your thoughts?

EDIT: The link for the full story:

The Full Story

The US has no right to hold these people without charge. If they cannot find the evidence they need to charge them, they should be released. The US should be ashamed of itself.

Obviously there is no evidence, otherwise they would have been charged by now.

My opinion..hmm...he certainly meant "1984".

Originally posted by Bardock42
My opinion..hmm...he certainly meant "1984".

I would agree with that...

Animal Farm works too. Its about almost the same thing. Orwell was big on fascism and politics

That's all very nice, but it's not really the point of the thread.

there never seems to be anyone with a middle ground opinion on this issue...according to one side or the other...every single person held in detention by America ,anywhere in the world, is either completely innocent of any wrong doing and that they should all be released (despite the fact that many of them were caught with weapons in their hands on the enemy lines during the war in afghanistan)

or

they are all vile murdering terrorist who with be slipping on their suicide bombing jackets within minutes of being released so they can go and blow up a shop full of cute fluffy bunnies and ADHD suffering kids

my guess is that somewhere in the middle of those is the truth of the matter

My opinion is that if they are terrorists then they should be charged as such. They shouldn't be held indefinitely regardless of 'perceived' intentions when not in captivity. Is 'innocent until proven guilty' another lost principal under the current US administration?

Originally posted by Arachnoidfreak
Animal Farm works too. Its about almost the same thing. Orwell was big on fascism and politics

Animal Farm isn'T about Fascism though...it's quite different actually.

Originally posted by Ya Krunk'd Floo
That's all very nice, but it's not really the point of the thread.

True, okay, my view of the Guantanamo Bay (Concentration) Camps is that it is quite a disgrace to every humane thinking person. Certainly some of the prisoners there might be guilty, but that doesn'T change that it goes against Human Rights which the US are so proud of usually.

Human Rights are a load of rubbish! Something for you to hide behind when being oppressed or ignore when your oppressing!

Originally posted by jaden101
[B](despite the fact that many of them were caught with weapons in their hands on the enemy lines during the war in afghanistan)

just caught with a weapon? or actually attacking troops?

Originally posted by Bardock42
Animal Farm isn'T about Fascism though...it's quite different actually.

True, okay, my view of the Guantanamo Bay (Concentration) Camps is that it is quite a disgrace to every humane thinking person. Certainly some of the prisoners there might be guilty, but that doesn'T change that it goes against Human Rights which the US are so proud of usually.

Agreed: Lets hope they learn from this! English Troops are trusted the World over.

Originally posted by jaden101
(despite the fact that many of them were caught with weapons in their hands on the enemy lines during the war in afghanistan)

Originally posted by PVS
just caught with a weapon? or actually attacking troops?

no doubt some were caught doing one, the other or both

And what would it matter?

The place goes against human laws, and it should be closed. Even if 99% there is guilty it should still be closed, they should either charge the people there and put them in prisons in the US itself, where they still have to listen to US laws or they should release them. What they are doing to those people now, guilty or not, is just wrong. And unless the US wants to become what its trying to fight it should stop its actions there immediately.

the biggest issue in terms of international relations is that we are mistakenly detaining several foreign nationals, including 5 men from china which can technically be construed as an act of war. So China kind of has the legal grounds to invade/santion/bomb us right now

Originally posted by jaden101
no doubt some were caught doing one, the other or both

ok, so some only possessed guns.

now answer this honestly. if you lived in that shithole, would you not want to own a gun? especially with a family?

The US is paranoid, they think everyone is a terrorist.

Originally posted by PVS
ok, so some only possessed guns.

now answer this honestly. if you lived in that shithole, would you not want to own a gun? especially with a family?

is that a question about the US or Afghanistan?...strange how it's applicable to both isn't it?

for what reason would you

a: need a gun in Afghanistan ruled by the taliban...when you support the taliban?

b: be on the front line of a warzone with a weapon?