At least 20% of the Guantanamo detainees have been held without charges for years even though they were innocent. These are just the ones that the government plans to release. Only time will tell about the other 80%. Many were victims of Afghan Warlords who sold them for bounty to the U.S. military. These innocent detainees still haven’t been released, because the administration is waiting for a “politically propitious time”!
A U.S. military official tells Time that at least 140 detainees—”the easiest 20%”—are scheduled for release. The processing of these men has sped up since the Supreme Court announced it would take the case, said the source, who believes the military is “waiting for a politically propitious time to release them.” U.S. officials concluded that some detainees were there because they had been kidnapped by Afghan warlords and sold for the bounty the U.S. was offering for al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters.
My guess is that they are releasing these 140 so that we stop asking questions about the remaining 520 prisoners. For me it is horrible enough if only 1 of these prisoners is innocent and being held without the right to an attorney, or presumption of innocence until guilt is proven; but I’m sure that the number is likely to be much higher.
Via Talk Left.
