U.S. general who opened Guantanamo prison says shut it down

[Pointedstick]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/ ... V620131212


"In retrospect, the entire detention and interrogation strategy was wrong," Marine Major General Michael Lehnert wrote in a column published in the Detroit Free Press.

Lehnert, now retired from the military and living in Michigan, was the first commander of the task force that opened the detention camp in January 2002 at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba.

He said the United States opened it "because we were legitimately angry and frightened" by the Sept. 11 hijacked plane attacks in 2001 and thought the captives sent there would provide "a treasure trove of information and intelligence."

He quickly became convinced that most of them never should have been sent there because they had little intelligence value and there was insufficient evidence linking them to war crimes, he wrote.

[MediumTex]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/ ... V620131212


"In retrospect, the entire detention and interrogation strategy was wrong," Marine Major General Michael Lehnert wrote in a column published in the Detroit Free Press.

Lehnert, now retired from the military and living in Michigan, was the first commander of the task force that opened the detention camp in January 2002 at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba.

He said the United States opened it "because we were legitimately angry and frightened" by the Sept. 11 hijacked plane attacks in 2001 and thought the captives sent there would provide "a treasure trove of information and intelligence."

He quickly became convinced that most of them never should have been sent there because they had little intelligence value and there was insufficient evidence linking them to war crimes, he wrote.

I always viewed Guantanamo Bay as more of a terrorism creation tool than a terrorism prevention tool.

How bitter must it make a person/family/community to see someone kidnapped, imprisoned, tortured, and then years later released with little more in the way of explanation than "Sorry, we thought you were a different Mohammed"?  Apparently, this is exactly what has happened with at least half of the Guantanamo Bay prison population over the years.

[Kshartle]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/ ... V620131212


"In retrospect, the entire detention and interrogation strategy was wrong," Marine Major General Michael Lehnert wrote in a column published in the Detroit Free Press.

Lehnert, now retired from the military and living in Michigan, was the first commander of the task force that opened the detention camp in January 2002 at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba.

He said the United States opened it "because we were legitimately angry and frightened" by the Sept. 11 hijacked plane attacks in 2001 and thought the captives sent there would provide "a treasure trove of information and intelligence."

He quickly became convinced that most of them never should have been sent there because they had little intelligence value and there was insufficient evidence linking them to war crimes, he wrote.

Hahahahah....in retrospect? Thanks Herr General Major....you would have made a good SS officer.

Nice how it took retirement for him to get some principles. Let me guess......he's now going to run for office?

Information from torture is useless. People will tell you anything under torture. I was in the Army as an intel scout. We operated in 4 man teams behind enemy lines with 3 rifles, a gernade launcer and a small machine gun. I made the point (to the Lt. and Cpt. we were better off not carrying anything (lighter, faster, maybe they wouldn't shoot). Guess what they thought of my sugestion. We were trained to not resist torture but instead to lie. Tell them every name of your high school whatever team. Point wherever on the map. If our positions were weak, tell them they're strong and vice versa. Talk, don't bother holding out because it's impossible.

The military knows this. At least the officers do. Tortured confessions and intel is garbage. What a liar this guy is.

[ns2]

Say What? You mean it's still open....

To overcome extremism, we must also be vigilant in upholding the values our troops defend – because there is no force in the world more powerful than the example of America. That is why I have ordered the closing of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, and will seek swift and certain justice for captured terrorists – because living our values doesn’t make us weaker, it makes us safer and it makes us stronger.

BARACK OBAMA, Address to Joint Session of Congress, Feb. 24, 2009