HR 5515 continues to push on

Recently, never really cared about Guantanamo Bay. I never cared, it never occured to me that if you exercise your rights well enough that you might get locked away. Maybe, notable mention on NCIS.

All this sounds a little extreme, yes. So is the abuses the executive branch makes against the rights of people. People born in this country and aliens that migrate here have a right to trial by jury (except for special circumstances, treason, assassination), right to due process. Yet, this is still stomped upon by our elected officials.

I think in the minds eye of the public, its mostly terrorists that are locked away. Surely, Snowden will go there if extridited back. But what may not cross the mind is a whistleblower, truthers for benefit of others, sovereign individuals, scientists.

Many would be surprised, that only 700 individuals are tied to tangible aggression in the middle east. I mean, we trained and exported the top men. We give them guns, bombs and money. Good read

It's no wonder when a Gitmo detainee goes before the Supreme Court about violation of Habeus Corpus, the Supreme Court always sides with detainee. To date there had been four cases brought to Supreme Courts and all in favor of detainees.

Facts:

1. Over 100% of Gitmo detainees have been incarcerated for more then 10 years.
2. Number of children detained 21
3. FBI documented 200 seperate instances of abuse.
4. Number of individuals tortured in secret CIA prisons, before transfer to Gitmo, 26.
5. Number of detainees transferred to Federal Court: 1.
6. Costs to citizens 455 Million annually, to supposedly detain 41 people.
7. Held at one time 99 US citizens
8. Most detainees where released under Bush regime
9. Fewest released under Obama regime.
10. Convictions :8 but 3 overturned, 1 partial.

Can we as a nation stop being a hyprocrit? Stop invading foreign lands based on "human rights violations", stop creating the badguy.

When will anyone with a voice muster up enough courage to consider and speak about Bush's use of the term "unarmed combatant?" Who conferred power to a president of an executive branch, to change the definition of war?

"...I hereby determine that Common Article 3 shall apply to a program of detention and interrogation operated by the Central Intelligence Agency as set forth in this section. The requirements set forth in this section shall be applied with respect to detainees in such program without adverse distinction as to their race, color, religion or faith, sex, birth, or wealth." -George W. Bush Jr. Executive Order 13440

Can someone please explain, how that worked? I mean prior to this Executice Order, the Geneva convention recognized only two forms of threats.

1. Allied forces captured and is PoW
2. Forces who are armed in contested territory

Now under Bush

1. Broad definition of unarmed combatants.

But this broad term should concern you. Anyone can be this!

The other kick is, detainees where held, tortured before this decree was ever addressed.

References:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5515/text
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=75569
https://www.aclu.org/issues/national-security/detention/guantanamo-numbers
https://web.archive.org/web/20070930184034/http://www.dod.mil/news/May2006/d20060515%20List.pdf