Joint Chiefs chairman tours Guantanamo

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - The chief of the U.S. military said Sunday he favors closing the prison here as soon as possible because he is concerned that worldwide negative publicity about the treatment of terrorist suspects has tarnished America's image.


"I'd like to see it shut down," Adm. Mike Mullen said in an interview with three reporters who toured the detention center with him on his first visit since becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last October.

His visit came two days after the sixth anniversary of the prison's opening in January 2002.

Mullen, whose previous visit was in December 2005 as head of the U.S. Navy, noted that President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates also have spoken publicly in favor of closing the prison. But Mullen said he is unaware of any active discussion in the administration about how to do it.

Asked why he thinks Guantanamo Bay, commonly dubbed Gitmo, should be closed, and the prisoners perhaps moved to U.S. soil, Mullen said, "More than anything else it's been the image — how Gitmo has become around the world, in terms of representing the United States."




Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080113/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/guantanamo_joint_chiefs

[rockybelt]

1. It's the image

not the actual torturing that bothers him.

[babylonsister]

2. Joint Chiefs chairman: close Guantanamo

Source: AP

Joint Chiefs chairman: close Guantanamo

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer 1 hour, 53 minutes ago


GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - The chief of the U.S. military said Sunday he favors closing the prison here as soon as possible because he believes negative publicity worldwide about treatment of terrorist suspects has been "pretty damaging" to the image of the United States.

"I'd like to see it shut down," Adm. Mike Mullen said in an interview with three reporters who toured the detention center with him on his first visit since becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last October.

His visit came two days after the sixth anniversary of the prison's opening in January 2002. He stressed that a closure decision was not his to make and that he understands there are numerous complex legal questions the administration believes would have to be settled first, such as where to move prisoners.

The admiral also noted that some of Guantanamo Bay's prisoners are deemed high security threats. During a tour of Camp Six, which is a high-security facility holding about 100 prisoners, Mullen got a firsthand look at some of the cells; one prisoner glared at Mullen through his narrow cell window as U.S. officers explained to the Joint Chiefs chairman how they maintain almost-constant watch over each prisoner.

more...

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080113/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/guantanamo_joint_chiefs;_ylt=AsszB1SdHHxQeTUqF4XLPj6s0NUE

[thunder rising]

3. He a candidate for retirement, spend a little time with the family

[defendandprotect]

4. Bush is tired of firing oridinary Generals --- will this be his first Joint Chief?

[pleah]

5. So he thinks it is "pretty damaging" , well ya think?! Dumbass.

[gateley]

6. Out of 277 prisoners (down from over 600):

Only four are currently facing military trials after being formally charged with crimes.

[Mojorabbit]

14. I can't see them closing it

if they have just built space for 10,000 more people.

[Mojorabbit]

7. Joint Chiefs Chairman: Close Guantanamo

Source: huffington post news wires

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba — The chief of the U.S. military said Sunday he favors closing the prison here as soon as possible because he believes negative publicity worldwide about treatment of terrorist suspects has been "pretty damaging" to the image of the United States.

"I'd like to see it shut down," Adm. Mike Mullen said in an interview with three reporters who toured the detention center with him on his first visit since becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last October.

snip
Asked why he thinks Guantanamo Bay, commonly dubbed Gitmo, should be closed, and the prisoners perhaps moved to U.S. soil, Mullen said, "More than anything else it's been the image _ how Gitmo has become around the world, in terms of representing the United States."

snip
"I think that the principal obstacle has been resolving a lot of the legal issues associated with closing Guantanamo and what you do with the prisoners when they come back (to the United States)," Gates said.

"Because of some of these legal concerns _ some of which are shared by people in both parties on Capitol Hill _ there has not been much progress in this respect," he added.

snip

Before he finished his Guantanmo Bay visit and flew to Key West, Fla., Mullen got a look at a site on the eastern shore of Guantanamo Bay _ opposite the terrorist detention center _ where the U.S. military is building a new refugee camp that would be used in the event of a sudden, major influx of refugees in the area. Initially the camp will be designed to hold 10,000 refugees and is scheduled to be finished by June.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20080113/guantanamo-joint-chiefs/

---

[Bicoastal]

8. Bush responds...

LEAVE GITMO ALONE!!

[lonestarnot]

13. Spray!

[Cleita]

9. Yeah, but does that mean they will start honoring

the Geneva Conventions? I don't think closing Gitmo solves the problem. It just moves it here if they don't have a major reorganization of how they are treating those prisoners.

[RuleOfNah]

10. Mullen 'favors', as in pretty please?

Who is the unnamed source of the implied "No!No!No!" response?

[frog92969]

11. Why wouldn't they close Guantanamo?

They have hundreds more around the world that people seem to have forgotten about.

[ixion]

12. not just GITMO... close them all and stop torturing...

arrest the * regime for war crimes and send them to the Hague. That's the ONLY set of items that will begin to repair our damaged international reputation.

[Solly Mack]

15. negative publicity

Yeah, that's it.

snort