BBC (Wednesday): Pressure grows on Guantanamo trials

[Jack Rabbit]

From the BBC Online
Dated Wednesday July 9 15:40 GMT (8:40 am PDT)

Pressure grows on Guantanamo trials

Tony Blair has been challenged to "put his foot down" and tell the Americans that the British men currently imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay should be tried in the UK.
Amid fears that Moazzam Begg and Feroz Abbasi will not get a fair trial, more than 200 MPs have now signed a parliamentary petition calling for the men to be repatriated.
Pressed several times on the issue at prime minister's questions on Wednesday, Mr Blair said the nature of the trials planned for the prisoners held at the base in Cuba had yet to be decided.
He promised to continue making "active representations" to the US Government to ensure the men had a fair trial . . . .
Under the proposed trial arrangements it is understood that Mr Begg and Mr Abbasi will be denied the right to choose their own legal representation.

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[LeftCoast]

1. These extra-judicial trials are very disturbing

I want terrorists to be put behind bars just as much as anyone, but just like the Founding Fathers, I don't trust government. These trials ask us to trust a gov't that is currently engaging in more lies than truth. The thought of trusting them to use this judicial venue fairly is just too much to ask.

[Old and In the Way]

2. Wonder how Americans would feel if our citizens were tried

in another country's military court without representation or public airing of their crimes? This strikes me as oddly familiar....wasn't this kind of shit going down in Chile back in the 70's?

[meisje]

3. Tony better get that spine transplant soon

n/t