The Road of Bones

Remember "flip flop" from the 2004 campaign? Here is a perfect example ...

May 8, 2006: Bush: I would like to close Guantanamo

June 14, 2006: Bush: Guantanamo's future up to Supreme Court

June 21, 2006: The US 'wants to end Guantanamo'

Today, July 31, 2006 ...

New maximum-security jail to open at Guantanamo Bay
Far from winding down, the controversial US detention centre is expanding
By Andrew Buncombe in Washington

The controversy over the US-run detention centre at Guantanamo Bay is to erupt anew with confirmation by the Pentagon that a new, permanent prison will open in the Cuban enclave in the next few weeks.

Camp 6, a state-of-the-art maximum-security jail built by a Halliburton subsidiary, will be able to hold 200 prisoners. Commander Robert Durand, a spokesman for Joint Task Force Guantanamo, said the $30m, two-storey block was due to open at the end of September. He added: "Camp 6 is designed to improve the quality of life for the detainees and provide greater protection for the people working in the facility."

This development will refuel the controversy about the jail, which still holds 450 prisoners from President George Bush's "war on terror". Campaigners pointed to Mr Bush's claim earlier this summer that he would "like to close" Guantanamo. Just weeks after he made his comments in June, the Supreme Court ruled that the administration's system for trying prisoners using military tribunals breached United States and international law.

At the time, some campaigners predicted the decision marked the beginning of the end of Guantanamo Bay. Since then, however, the Bush administration has signalled its intention to introduce new legislation that would circumvent the court's ruling. The revelation that Camp 6 is poised to open is proof that it intends to keep using the prison.

More here ...

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker on Monday, July 31, 2006 at Monday, July 31, 2006 | Permalink