If the prisoners were given Geneva convention rights at the outset? Fill me in on what happens under the Geneva convention if you engage in acts of war while wearing civilian garb.

Yes, that zoom sited was all part of Abu Grave, not Gitmo.
A lot of the "travesties" at Gitmo were just part of a PR campaign by the anti Bush mafia. Now that it has fallen into the lap of Obama, they find that it was easy to offer criticism, then take on the actual problem. Obviously they are finding that in Afghanastan, the economy, ext. easy to blame Bush for it all, then when they take power, most of the policies are pretty much the same as they were under bush.
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The press actually sent a lot of investigators to Gitmo, and they never found anything all to compelling. Lot of the stories like the flushed Koran, were found to be bogus.. Not to say nothing ever happened there, what sort of a prison doesn't have bad things happen? If it were up to me, and the opponents don't want them treated as enemy combatants, I would say fine...Convict them in a US court, and then put them in gen pop in a US federal prison. I'm sure master minds of 9/11 would fit in just fine in gen pop in a place like San Quinton ;-)

Zoom, Apparently you don't remember that the atrocities that you are talking about occured at the Army-run Abu Grahib Military Detention Center, not the USMC-run Gitmo.

"Nothing bad ever happens in a regular US prison......"

I've newer heard of US prison guards stacking bound, naked inmates like cordwood, and giving the "thumbs up" while taking pictures.

If the prisoners were given even the most basic rights under the Geneva Convention before 2006, the ridiculous abuses probably would not have happened, for all the world to see. The "guards" were given little training for their mission. GITMO is a festering boil for U.S. international relations that must be removed.

By the way, Illinois has a shortage of prison space forcing them to early release criminals due to chronic overcrowding in their prison system. Why is this prison underused and why is it being sold to the federal government when Illinois appears to need the space? Apparently they've spent themselves into a hole so that they can't afford to operate it at even 1/4 capacity. So now they want to sell off this prison, probably so they can use the money gained to fortify the state employee pension program.

The issue seems clear to me. These are not criminals, they are enemy combatants (prisoners of war). They weren't picked up on the streets of Chicago, they were found in rat holes in the hills of Afghanistan and Iraq. They have no business being tried in criminal court, their fate belongs in the hands of military tribunals. And Guantanamo Bay is a U.S Naval base, United States territory, not some foreign land where U.S. law doesn't apply.

They need to remain confined until cessation of hostilities, not imprisoned. Closing Gitmo is a monumental travesty based on the most partisan of motives.

"The problem with gitmo is the crap that went on there"
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Glad they got on that one. Nothing bad ever happens in a regular US prison......

whoanallie:
Yes; I am anxiously awaiting for John Kass, or one of the IL investigative reports, to get on this one! The list of payoffs on this sucker will be a mile long, I'm betting!

Whythink: Don't be calling it the "War on terror" nor no one better dare be using such inflammatory rhetoric as "victory". These term have been expunged from the dialogue, and serious consequences will be enacted on those who use such zealotry! . Get it right, it is the struggle against man caused disasters!

I also think that Obama must owe somebody in his home state. Why choose Il?? Why not California where they are broke. It would generate some much needed money and jobs. I wonder who he owes????

What stupidity?
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They will be held in a super-max type facility the same type that holds mass murderers. How will that lead to an attack?
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What is the difference on where they are held? That simply does not matter. The problem with gitmo is the crap that went on there so this is more of a PR move than anything else. We need some positive PR with the rest of the world if we are going to get any help with the "Golbal War on Terror".
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I still say that this is a difficult issue. The partisans need to step back and stop the fear talk. I don't really care where these guys are held. Gitmo, IL, doesn't matter.

I believe they said that this would create jobs for Il. What a laugh!! I think they should stay right where they are. And if you would have listen to another senator (might have been Pat Quin?) He talked about how every prison in Il is 30% overcrowded, so if they moved that many to this prison they are talking about that would also create more jobs for Il! I don't want those terrorists anywhere near my home, let them stay at gitmo!!! That is one reason we have not had anymore attacks on the united states. Not the only reason but if we have them in our back yards that would let them possibly do some more harm to us. Enough people died on 9/11, I don't think we need anymore to die because of our governments stupidity!!!!

I will say this does make me makes me very despondent now....
I was still giving out hope that they would move the place to Janesville.
At where else, but the vacated GM plant!!

Just shows that Paul Ryan, Feingold, Kohl, and company, don't have the ties like the IL machine does!!

This is almost to comical. Wasn't the Obama campaign pledge to get rid of Guantanamo Bay prison by the end of January 2010, or something? Well, it looks like they will indeed get rid of it, even though it will be well after the pledged date. However; it appears all they are doing is moving the the location! Kind of funny that it happens to be in Illinois, and all the machine politicians from IL are crowing about all the jobs it will create in there. HAHA

I suppose that can be said to be a good thing, since a few hundred billion has been thrown out the window in stimulus, and jobs keep being lost.

One must wonder just how many payoffs were involved in this deal to get it in IL? Some investigative reporter really needs to get on this one! I would bet big $$$$ that if they do, they will find as just many corrupt ties to this thing as Blogo, Ryan, Dailey, Hastrit and the whole corrupt IL bunch has had their hands in over the years.

as opposed to the term bushies...that is always ok, oh never mind.

kinsohn, may I assume that someone using the opener "you libs" is not someone I may consider engaging in serious argument.

The federal government isn't purchasing this prison. The US TAXPAYERS are!!!!!

http://cryptome.org/dod-kbr.htm
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http://911review.org/Sept11Wiki/Hallibur...
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Dick already made his $$$ so what is the difference.
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Why to close the base...
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2...
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Why not to close the base...
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Homelan...
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Many who are simply partisan want to make this a simply issue. Like many other issues that some want to simplify this is not a simple issue.
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The above articles do a nice job of outlining some of the issues with either decision.
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Personally, my standard for the US is high, and even if it is a false perception, let's make sure that we continue to set the standard of how "enemy combatants" are treated around the globe.

Isn't it cruel and unusual to move someone to the middle of Illinois?

Duck stop looking for logic. It is about emotion and politics.

Interesting postings. I helped set up JTF-160 (GTMO) in Dec 01/Jan 02. Still haven't heard a logical reason to close the facility and transfer the detainees.

You libs are funny: you state that "There is no longer any serious argument for keeping them outside the territory of the US" and then give the best argument for doing so by saying "The only reason for establishing the Guantanamo detention camp in the first place was an attempt to evade jurisdiction of US courts."

Left-wing US courts will inevitably give non-American enemy combatants that were never in America American rights to trial. Even Obama doesn't want this, which is why Holder has chosen not to prosecute the Cole bombers in US courts because of the rules of evidence.

Please make coherent arguments.

The only reason for establishing the Guantanamo detention camp in the first place was an attempt to evade jurisdiction of US courts. The Bush administration lost one attempt after another to argue this point, from Rasul v. Bush (2004) to Hamdi v. Rumsfeld (2004) to Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006) to Odah v. Bush (2007) to Boumedienne v. Bush (2008). There is no longer any serious argument for keeping them outside the territory of the US.
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Setting up Guantanamo was a propaganda gift to the enemies of the United States and a grave disappointment to our friends. Secret prisons are the stuff of totalitarian regimes and dictatorships, not a democratic society with confidence in its system of justice.

truth1 - Really? That's all you could come up with?

Think of all the extra "pollution" from vehicle exhaust and oil drilling that comes from this fiasco instead of just trying them at Gitmo.....The prisoner transport vehicles, security vehicles and on and on and on....The thousands of vehicle-miles that are going to be needed for this, and not good fuel-mileage vehicles either....Way to go Obozo.

www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil/

Joint Task Force GITMO has not been a problem for a long time. The only reason it is to be shut down, is because of it's "past". While my son was a part of JTFGITMO, the detainees were treated with respect, and in accordance with the Geneva Convention. PS. He saw no reason to shut it down."Those people" don't work there any more.
On the other hand.
The jobs will be good!
RAmen