Guantanamo Bay Detainees Are Not Ordinary Criminals -- The Telegraph
Barack Obama's change of mind over the way terror suspects are tried was difficult but right, writes Malcolm Rifkind.
It has turned out to be a case not of "Yes, we can", but "No, we can't". With America's reputation tarnished by images of kneeling, blindfolded prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, and reports of waterboarding, extraordinary rendition and the abuse of detainees in Abu Ghraib, Barack Obama made Guantanamo's closure one of his key campaign pledges.
Upon taking office in January 2009, one of his first executive orders mandated that the jail would be shut within the year. He was also determined to ensure that, wherever possible, detainees would be tried in civilian courts within the United States. Even Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the 9/11 bombings, was to face a judge and jury, preferably in New York.
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More News On Guantanamo
Cole bombing suspect to face military tribunal at Guantanamo -- L.A. Times
Obama lifts Gitmo trials freeze, signs indefinite detention order -- Foreign Policy
Obama Approves Life Imprisonment without Trial for Guantánamo Prisoners -- AllGov
Guantánamo order seen as return to Bush era policies -- Irish Times
The Prison That Won’t Go Away -- New York Times editorial
My Comment: This is a major reversal of President Obama's Guantanamo policy .... my prediction .... expect this to be a non-story in the main stream media by the end of the week.