Terrorist Should Face Justice

Barak & Joe,

It is my contention that none of the terrorists held in detention at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base should be held indefinitely without trial, and that they should be put on trial in civilian criminal courts. It is a violation of not only our laws, but as importantly our ideals, to hold these men without trail, and that a trial before a military tribunal is not really a trial at all.

Indefinite detention is a violation of a person’s human rights. Any number of the detainees being held at Guantánamo Bay were seized on the battle field in the heat of combat. As anyone familiar with the combat theater understands, it often can be controlled chaos. It is understandable that soldiers and marines would apprehend people they deem a threat, but afterwards we need to sort out which individuals are actual combatants and which individuals were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Detainees who were caught committing acts of war against the United States should be punished appropriately, and those who were, in hindsight, incorrectly apprehended should be repatriated to their countries. No one should be allowed to languish in prison without the opportunity to face justice.