Gitmo Names Released

The Washington Post reports on the latest developments in legal no-mans-land:

The U.S. government released the first list Wednesday of detainees at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- the most extensive accounting yet of the hundreds held there, nearly all of them labeled enemy combatants.

In all, 558 people were named in the list provided by the Pentagon in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the Associated Press. They were among the first swept up in the U.S. global fight against terrorism for suspected links to al-Qaeda or the Taliban.

Well, that only took years and a lawsuit. I wonder how long it will be before we know what's actually going on at Guantanamo Bay. Nearly all were labeled 'enemy combatants' Republico-speak for 'people we don't want to give rights to because they might tell there lawyers things that are embarrassing to our administration.'

The thing is, I'm sure that there are some people there that should be locked up. But when the Bush Administration made the whole thing, enemy combatants held without charge, council, or Red Cross access, they've endangered our ability to arrest and hold (with all normal legal protections) real terrorists.

Guantanamo Bay Enemy Combatants George W. Bush