[DEBATE] : US - Judge says US can hold detainees indefinitely

[Riaz K Tayob]

Judge says US can hold detainees indefinitely
By Raw Story

Published: May 20, 2009

A Bush appointed judge ruled late Tuesday night that the United States 
can hold detainees for an indefinite period.

The opinion issued by U.S. District Judge John Bates "limited the Obama 
administration's definition of who can be held," Nedra Pickler reports 
for the Associated Press. "But he said Congress in the days after Sept. 
11, 2001 gave the president the authority to hold anyone involved in 
planning, aiding or carrying out the terrorist attacks."

"Bates' opinion comes amid increasing debate over whether President 
Barack Obama is going to release anyone from Guantanamo. Obama has 
promised to close the prison by January, but Senate Democrats say they 
will block the move until he comes up with a plan for the detainees," 
the AP notes.

The AP quotes ACLU attorney Jonathan Hafetz as saying that the opinion 
"flouts the Constitution's prohibition against indefinite detention 
without charge."

"The decision wrongly concludes that terrorism suspects at Guantanamo 
may continue to languish in military detention rather than being 
prosecuted in our civilian courts," Hafetz said. "Like the president's 
recent decision to revive military commissions, this ruling perpetuates 
rather than ends the failed experiment in lawlessness that is Guantanamo."

Bates was tapped for the District Court seat by former President George 
W. Bush a week before 9/11 in 2001. He was selected to join the Foreign 
Intelligence Surveillance Court just the other day.

A pdf of the decision can be found at this link.

Raw Story » Judge says US can hold detainees indefinitely (21 May 2009)

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/05/20/detainees-indefinitely/