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Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/19/2009 3:14:50 PM   
rulemylife


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• Former Bush aide: Many Guantanamo detainees are innocent


SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Many detainees locked up at Guantanamo were innocent men swept up by U.S. forces unable to distinguish enemies from noncombatants, a former Bush administration official said Thursday. "There are still innocent people there," Lawrence B. Wilkerson, a Republican who was chief of staff to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, told The Associated Press. "Some have been there six or seven years."

Wilkerson, who first made the assertions in an Internet posting on Tuesday, told the AP he learned from briefings and by communicating with military commanders that the U.S. soon realized many Guantanamo detainees were innocent but nevertheless held them in hopes they could provide information for a "mosaic" of intelligence.

"It did not matter if a detainee were innocent. Indeed, because he lived in Afghanistan and was captured on or near the battle area, he must know something of importance," Wilkerson wrote in the blog. He said intelligence analysts hoped to gather "sufficient information about a village, a region, or a group of individuals, that dots could be connected and terrorists or their plots could be identified."

Wilkerson, a retired Army colonel, said vetting on the battlefield during the early stages of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan was incompetent with no meaningful attempt to discriminate "who we were transporting to Cuba for detention and interrogation".............................................

In his posting for The Washington Note blog, Wilkerson wrote that "U.S. leadership became aware of this lack of proper vetting very early on and, thus, of the reality that many of the detainees were innocent of any substantial wrongdoing, had little intelligence value, and should be immediately released."

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney fought efforts to address the situation, Wilkerson said, because "to have admitted this reality would have been a black mark on their leadership." Wilkerson told the AP in a telephone interview that many detainees "clearly had no connection to al-Qaida and the Taliban and were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pakistanis turned many over for $5,000 a head."
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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/19/2009 5:34:04 PM   
Politesub53


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quote:

"It did not matter if a detainee were innocent. Indeed, because he lived in Afghanistan and was captured on or near the battle area, he must know something of importance," Wilkerson wrote in the blog.


Thanks for posting this Rule. Many of us have been saying the same thing, only to get shouted down by some on here as being left wingers. Many innocent people were kept, and in some cases tortured, with no trial or legal basis at all. I doubt if one person at the top of the command chain will be prosecuted over this.

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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/19/2009 5:38:23 PM   
domiguy


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Status: offline 		Wouldn't it be fucking refreshing if just "one" former Bush aide said that President Bush was the fgreatest thing since sliced bread?....It seems that every single motherfucker that had contact with that puke has nothing but horrible things to say....Ooops..save the king of the motherfuckers, himself, Dick Cheney.

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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 4:18:20 AM   
corysub


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Status: offline 		Like locusts, Wilkerson comes out of the dirt, spreads over the landscape, and disappears for a few more months.  What he doesn't say is that Gitmo at one time hosted over 600 suspected terrorists at one time.  What he doesn't say is that around two-thirds  have been released, including those that we were forced by ACLU and others to be released because "evidence" as required in a criminal case against U.S. citizens was not availabe or tainted.  A number of those released apparently went back to their terrorist trade to kill american soldiers.

The couple of hundred prisoners left at Gitmo, according to officials, represent mostly those being held for trial...and a goodly number of these will probably be released based on the application of U.S. criminal law.  Good news for them!   Attorney General Holder recently said that some of those to be released will be set free in U.S. cities.  I would suggest Chicago and Wilmington be among the top two cities...and maybe even some housing could be provided at Camp David.....

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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 4:25:30 AM   
Owner59


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Status: offline 		Let`s torture them all to find out which ones are innocent and which are guilty...    According to vice-treasonist Dick,it`s what`s kept us safe since 9/11...

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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 7:29:40 AM   
ThatDamnedPanda


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Status: offline 		If she floats, she's a witch. If she sinks, well.... she must have been innocent after all.

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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 7:45:17 AM   
rulemylife


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Politesub53

quote:

"It did not matter if a detainee were innocent. Indeed, because he lived in Afghanistan and was captured on or near the battle area, he must know something of importance," Wilkerson wrote in the blog.


Thanks for posting this Rule. Many of us have been saying the same thing, only to get shouted down by some on here as being left wingers. Many innocent people were kept, and in some cases tortured, with no trial or legal basis at all. I doubt if one person at the top of the command chain will be prosecuted over this.


I have no doubt, they never will.

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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 7:47:17 AM   
slvemike4u


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Status: offline 		Just how many actual terrorists have we created in Mr.Cheney's little lab?

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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 7:48:43 AM   
rulemylife


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quote:

ORIGINAL: domiguy

Wouldn't it be fucking refreshing if just "one" former Bush aide said that President Bush was the fgreatest thing since sliced bread?....It seems that every single motherfucker that had contact with that puke has nothing but horrible things to say....Ooops..save the king of the motherfuckers, himself, Dick Cheney.


No, even Cheney blasted him for not giving a full pardon to Scooter Libby.

One of the few right decisions he made, even though he did commute his sentence.

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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 7:52:37 AM   
LaTigresse


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quote:

ORIGINAL: slvemike4u

Just how many actual terrorists have we created in Mr.Cheney's little lab?


I would venture, more than we comfortably want to know about.

And am I the only one that is just itching to see what Cory's post is gonna say???


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My twisted, self deprecating, sense of humour, finds alot to laugh about, in your lack of one!

Just because you are well educated, articulate, and can use big, fancy words, properly........does not mean you are right!

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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 7:55:29 AM   
slvemike4u


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Status: offline 		No LaTige,I'm waiting myself.....

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If we want things to stay as they are,things will have to change...Tancredi from "the Leopard"

Forget Guns-----Ban the pools

Funny stuff....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNwFf991d-4


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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 7:57:00 AM   
rulemylife


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quote:

ORIGINAL: slvemike4u

Just how many actual terrorists have we created in Mr.Cheney's little lab?


That's exactly the thing.

I have no doubt we have real terrorists locked up there.

But we were offering bounties to anyone and everyone, and in a poor country it was all too easy to label a personal enemy as a terrorist and collect some cash while ridding yourself of your enemy.

Then the problem becomes you have a lot of innocent people getting pissed off because they have been wrongly imprisoned, and they are in daily contact with actual terrorists who convert them to the cause.


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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 8:00:16 AM   
slvemike4u


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Status: offline 		And they have family members who aren't thinking too kindly of us right now.....and on ,and on it goes.
What will the final price for our descent into darkness cost us?

_____________________________

If we want things to stay as they are,things will have to change...Tancredi from "the Leopard"

Forget Guns-----Ban the pools

Funny stuff....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNwFf991d-4


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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 8:06:33 AM   
ThatDamnedPanda


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quote:

ORIGINAL: LaTigresse


And am I the only one that is just itching to see what Cory's post is gonna say???



Do we really need to read it in order to know what it's going to say?


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Panda, panda, burning bright
In the forest of the night
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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 8:08:57 AM   
LaTigresse


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Status: offline 		No, but maybe I am the eternal optimist. Always hoping for enlightenment.

(Or I sadistically enjoy the whole foaming mouth type zeal.......as the ship sinks)


< Message edited by LaTigresse -- 3/20/2009 8:10:20 AM >

_____________________________

My twisted, self deprecating, sense of humour, finds alot to laugh about, in your lack of one!

Just because you are well educated, articulate, and can use big, fancy words, properly........does not mean you are right!

(in reply to ThatDamnedPanda)
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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 8:11:37 AM   
ThatDamnedPanda


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quote:

ORIGINAL: LaTigresse

No, but maybe I am the eternal optimist. Always hoping for enlightenment.

(Or I sadistically enjoy the whole foaming mouth type zeal.......as the ship sinks)



I'll freely admit that in the sense, I get a certain enjoyment out of it as well!


_____________________________

Panda, panda, burning bright
In the forest of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Made you all black and white and roly-poly like that?


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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 8:12:55 AM   
kittinSol


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quote:

ORIGINAL: ThatDamnedPanda

quote:

ORIGINAL: LaTigresse


And am I the only one that is just itching to see what Cory's post is gonna say???



Do we really need to read it in order to know what it's going to say?



I thought Cory had resigned?

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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 8:15:20 AM   
slvemike4u


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Status: offline 		Well a resignation had been tendered.Perhaps it wasn't accepted?

_____________________________

If we want things to stay as they are,things will have to change...Tancredi from "the Leopard"

Forget Guns-----Ban the pools

Funny stuff....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNwFf991d-4


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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 8:22:54 AM   
Mercnbeth


Posts: 11766
Status: offline 		Didn't realize that George Bush was still holding the keys to those cells. Is this similar to the troop withdrawn in Iraq where the current Administration is power-less to do anything? I mean - just open the cells, give them the keys to the country and apologize; perhaps give them a few Million dollars. Too bad they didn't think of it a few weeks ago - they could have buried it with the rest of the Pork approved by Congress.

I think this article represents the smoking gun that should swing open those cell doors. A Democratic President who is on record saying these people are representative of a group who are just 'misunderstood' and can be our allies if only he had a chance to talk to them. Doesn't he have the power to act on his position? A Democratic Congress would surely support his action if he issued a Presidential proclamation or pardon.

I know its sad for many that George Bush is no longer President and can no longer be blamed for one more day of Gitmo, one more day of Iraq, or one more day of any foreign intervention; but he isn't. Obama is President, he has the ability to affect instant change and result - issue over! What's the delay?

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RE: Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent - 3/20/2009 8:28:20 AM   
slvemike4u


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Status: offline 		Yeah Merc,because it wasn't the Bush administration that grabbed and incarcerated these people at Gitmo.
As far as the present administration is concerned....they are in an awful position here....sort of like the man who holds the tiger by the tail.letting go can be as dangerous as holding on.

_____________________________

If we want things to stay as they are,things will have to change...Tancredi from "the Leopard"

Forget Guns-----Ban the pools

Funny stuff....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNwFf991d-4


(in reply to Mercnbeth)
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