WASHINGTON (AFP) — the Senate began consideration Thursday a bill that if passed will block civil trial of suspects of the "war on terror" and the closure of U.S. Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, a source of the Congress, said Wednesday.
Development, following the passage of a similar measure in the House of representatives on 8 December, has raised an uproar among human rights groups.
The measure consists of a paragraph which denies the request of the Government "" first year costs of crime to some former Guantánamo Bay detainees because the plan of the administration of these tests is not yet defined trial. ""
It also contains language prohibiting the administration of the use of the funds to acquire a prison to hold the detainees at Guantanamo Bay to the United States. The administration had planned to buy an Illinois prison therefor.
"We urge those on Capitol Hill, to put aside politics and focus on the implementation of smart national security strategies that include those who would harm the responsible Americans in our courts," said Elisa Massimino, head of Human Rights First.
Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder makes appeal to Senators do not bind the hands of President Barack Obama saying: no there was no previous known for Congress speak "for prohibit the continuation of specific individuals or crimes".
A group of 17 former military officers also wrote an open letter urging the Senate does step to "prevent the President to prosecute suspected terrorists."
"Justice has long since in these cases, and which can be achieved by trial fair and trustworthy in our system of criminal justice," said the American Civil Liberties Union.
Obama promised to close the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay prison before January 2010, but retracted facing stiff opposition in Congress.
There are still 174 detainees in Guantanamo Bay, only three of them were tried and convicted officially.
The European Commission said Friday that he was "very concerned" by 8 December vote at home, despite the efforts of the members of the EU to help America "turn a very dark page" in its history.
No comments:
Post a Comment