Enemy Combatant? Not!
The Washington Post and The Associated Press on U.S. to free detainee after nearly three years:
A longtime captive at the U.S. military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, will be sent home to his native country after a military tribunal there determined that he is not an enemy combatant, Navy Secretary Gordon England said yesterday.
The decision ends nearly three years of incarceration for the man, who was picked up on the battlefields of Afghanistan.
Folks, this is exactly why we don’t suspend the rule of law just because the guy in charge looks good in a flight suit. Which one of my “lock all the Arabs up” and “they’re terrorists, they don’t have any rights” critics are going to tell this man that he shouldn’t be upset over three years of false imprisonment?
Well, there are a couple of other little, tiny reasons why we don’t suspend the rule of law just because Bush said so. You know, that whole being an American and being above emulating the tactics of petty thugs and dictators thing. Also, that whole pride in our behavior and pride in setting the example on how civilized societies conduct their affairs thing.
How about it apologists? Any of you cowards ready to surrender three years of your life to make up for this man’s loss?