Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay. Since its opening, the vast majority of its 775 detainees were released without charge. Now, 171 remain, and indefinite detention has officially become American law.
On Dec. 31, President Barack Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act. Despite his “serious reservations,” the president paved the way for future American presidents to detain prisoners indefinitely without charge with mere strokes of their pens.
Since 2001, the military tribunals at Guantanamo have concluded only six cases while America’s domestic civilian courts have successfully prosecuted 523 terrorism related cases between 2001 and 2009.
Guantanamo continues to be a stain on the reputation of the United States — a potent symbol that strengthens our enemies and breeds anti-Americanism worldwide. It unnecessarily increases the dangers facing our brothers and sisters in the armed forces and diplomatic corps.
The values we cherish and fight to maintain, such as the rule of law and freedom from tyranny, continue to erode. Closing Guantanamo can restore America’s moral standing and re-establish it as the example of representative democracy for transitioning societies in North Africa and the Middle East. Lest Tunisia opens its own Guantanamo ...
Roger Anderson is an Ohio University alumnus.
