gadgiiberibimba, and others , you're buying the idea that most or all those in detention actually are "terrorists". (It's really not germane to the legal and moral issues in question, but does seem to matter in how they are viewed.) Others have already tried to dispel those assumptions , but I'll give it a go .

Imagine this scenario , in regard to our regular criminal "justice" system . A ~$2-3M (the relative worth of our bounty is paid for any criminal suspect . The police and prosecutors don't even have to be aware of the "crime" before apprehension , as long as some remotely plausible allegation is made . Payment is made upon delivery, not conviction . Anyone that can force the suispect to cooperate , can participate . Imagine that the overwhelming majority of people in our prisons were there as a result of this process, brought into the system by gangs, mafia,bounty hunters, contractors ( Blackwater, etc), or anyone else that can bring sufficient force to bear. . Oh yeah, once in awhile the police might bring in a few . Further imagine that few if any went through any sort of due process, to prove their guilt. They're just there , waiting, and being abused by their keepers, who have few limits on how they can obtain confessions .

Would you have any faith in that system, or the guilt of those caught up in it?

Correction below . Some stuff missing above .

The mistaken assumption

gadgiiberibimba, and others , you're buying the idea that most or all those in detention actually are "terrorists". (It's really not germane to the legal and moral issues in question, but does seem to matter in how they are viewed.) Others have already tried to dispel those assumptions , but I'll give it a go .

Imagine this scenario , in regard to our regular criminal "justice" system . A ~$2-3M (the relative worth of our payments in SE Asia?) bount is paid for any criminal suspect . The police and prosecutors don't even have to be aware of the "crime" before apprehension , as long as some remotely plausible allegation is made . Payment is made upon delivery, not conviction . Anyone that can force the suispect to cooperate , can participate . Imagine that the overwhelming majority of people in our prisons were there as a result of this process, brought into the system by gangs, mafia,bounty hunters, contractors ( Blackwater, etc), or anyone else that can bring sufficient force to bear. . Oh yeah, once in awhile the police might bring in a few . Further imagine that few if any went through any sort of due process, to prove their guilt. They're just there , waiting, and being abused by their keepers, who have few limits on how they can obtain confessions .

Would you have any faith in that system, or the guilt of those caught up in it?

They all seem to assume that if given their day in non-kangaroo court, that the prisoners will be released. Therefore , logically (wingnut-style), they're all innocent! ;)

parris , there's one "safety" aspect that the pro-torture crowd doesn't consider. That of our military , when encountering those faced with the decision of either surrendering , or fighting to the death , to avoid capture . Remember all the Iraqi soldiers that gladly surrendered, in the first Gulf War? How many of our opponents willingly surrender , knowing the horrors that might befall them. How many of our soldiers and marines do they take with them , in an effort to avoid torture and indefinite imprisonment?

maureen,Pedinska,Klytus,ondelette,

my 2c on the condecension issue: I didn't take maureen's comment that way. Saw it as turning around the words of the pro-toture crowd, who tend to use that sort of hokey, American-exceptionalism rhetoric.

The Bosnian/Algerians are a different scenario because the case against them had actually been found to be without merit .....

twice!

You think that's a singular case? They just happened to get through all the roadblocks (after years in the gulag).The same result wouldn't occur , if others got a fair hearing?

[snip].... All other cases would seem to be a case of alleged criminals being transferred into US custody. You'd think we could undo that by transferring them out of US custody......

--Jaret Ward

All?(or even "most"?) Hardly! Some version of the Bosnians' situation has repeated itself over and over and over . When a case is actually examined, it falls apart. That's why you are taking flak for your comments . You disapprove of Bushco policies, but let your mind be imprisoned by their propaganda.

How about the prisoners decide where they go when released ?

As for the few credible cases, how about sending them to the Hague? At least then they might get a fair hearing, and won't be further abused in the meantime . (As they might if sent to Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.) If some actual "terrorists" get off, so be it . We screwed up, and they've already paid a heavy price. If some convictions somehow happened , then in essence it would be a world body declaring terrorism a crime against humanity. (& it would have some credibility, unlike anything we touched)