It’s a fine day to be an American. It looks like the President-Elect’s advisory team has some important things on their agenda too! The Huffington Post reports that Obama’s advisers are
“crafting plans to close the Guantanamo Bay prison and prosecute terrorism suspects in the U.S…. Under the plan being crafted inside Obama’s camp, some detainees would be released and others would be charged in U.S. courts, where they would receive constitutional rights and open trials.”
Somewhat worrying, though, is something in the next paragraph:
“…the plan could require the creation of a new legal system to handle the
classified information inherent in some of the most sensitive cases.”
This blogger is a believer in complete and total openness of information when it comes to government. Secrets are inevitably used as cover for the misuse of power. But Gitmo could be closing, and that’s a huge step in the right direction. It signals that Barack Obama plans to treat people like human beings no matter what they are accused of, so this news is basis enough for optimism that he may end the other CIA secret prisons around the world, and put a stop to the use of torture.
