Britain ready to take in Guantánamo prisoners

[Troll]

Wonder what our troops will make of this?

Britain is preparing to receive foreign terror suspects from Guantánamo Bay so that Barack Obama can shut it down, Government sources say that Britain now supports moves to rehouse the detainees, despite previous refusals to help President Bush.

A Downing Street official said that a process to deal with the detainees was being put in place and that decisions “would be for the Home Secretary to decide on a case-by-case basis”.

The issue is the subject of intense negotiations within Whitehall. The Foreign Office appears much keener on the idea than other departments, which will have to deal with the suspects’ immigration status and whether they will need special housing and cash benefits. Having foreign terror suspects with no links to the UK housed here inevitably will provoke controversy.

“Of course the Foreign Office wants to do it, they want to get off to a good start with Obama,” said a Whitehall source. “This is the sort of thing that will require a Cabinet-level decision.”

Britain accepts that the prison should be closed, according to a diplomatic source, and that the US is going to need help to close it. The Government is supporting a call from Portugal for EU members to resettle detainees.

[AtW]

Wonder what our troops will make of this?

They should welcome it as otherwise they can't expect to face humane treatment if they become POWs. It also removes big stain associated with their efforts.

[Troll]

They should welcome it as otherwise they can't expect to face humane treatment if they become POWs. It also removes big stain associated with their efforts.

Any POWs in the current theatres of operations?

[AtW]

Any POWs in the current theatres of operations?

Doesn't matter if there aren't any at the moment: currently US/UK troops that can fall into hands of Taleban/Iraqi can expect gruesome death and Guantanomo helped make that happen.

Reputational stain is more important - actions of non-battle troops in prisoner camps reflects on battle formations completely unrelated to those cimes as Waffen SS discovered.

[BrilloPad]

America caused the issue : they should take them in.

[dang65]

Reputational stain is more important - actions of non-battle troops in prisoner camps reflects on battle formations completely unrelated to those cimes as Waffen SS discovered.

I get your point, but Waffen SS is not exactly the best example to use is it?

[AtW]

I get your point, but Waffen SS is not exactly the best example to use is it?

No, it's not the best example indeed, though the main point stands - Waffen SS were battlefield troops (tank divisions etc) who had nothing to do with prison camps or war crimes, yet the stain has fallen on the whole structure of SS even, same principle applies here - if US land forces take prisoners who are abused later in POW camp then the stain falls upon whole of US army and image of USA in general - this is not very good at all and it helped a lot to the bad guys.

[minestrone]

Doesn't matter if there aren't any at the moment: currently US/UK troops that can fall into hands of Taleban/Iraqi can expect gruesome death and Guantanomo helped make that happen.

Reputational stain is more important - actions of non-battle troops in prisoner camps reflects on battle formations completely unrelated to those cimes as Waffen SS discovered.

They were cutting American heads off well before Guantanomo.

Throw them in a pit.

[AtW]

They were cutting American heads off well before Guantanomo.

They are living by the barbaric laws of the uncivilized ages - becoming them would be big mistake. It is known that they used Guantanomo images, and other stuff to recruit fighters and it worked very well - this must have cost hundreds of american soldiers lifes at least.

[minestrone]

They are living by the barbaric laws of the uncivilized ages - becoming them would be big mistake. It is known that they used Guantanomo images, and other stuff to recruit fighters and it worked very well - this must have cost hundreds of american soldiers lifes at least.

The information got by a wee bit of waterboarding has probably saved thousands of soldiers and civilians.