Five Taliban members detained at the American prison Guantanamo Bay are being remanded into the custody of Qatar following the negotiated release of a US soldier held captive in Afghanistan.
The idea of sending the five prisoners to live here has been discussed for more than two years.
In 2012, Reuters reported that the Taliban members were among the most dangerous of the renaming prisoners in Cuba, but stated that their transfer was considered a “necessary evil” to get Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl home.
The 28-year-old soldier had been held prisoner for nearly five years, and was the only American POW there. Following his release today, the New York Times reports him as being in good condition and able to walk.
The newspaper added that Qatar officials would accompany the Taliban members back to Doha, “where they will be subject to security restrictions, including a one-year travel ban.”
In a statement, US Secretary of State John Kerry praised Qatar, home to the largest US air base in the Middle East, for brokering the prisoner exchange:
“I extend my personal gratitude to the Government of Qatar – and especially to the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani – who played such an instrumental role in returning Sergeant Bergdahl home.
We work every day with Qatar on a range of critical foreign policy priorities. This effort – one that was personally so close to our hearts here – exemplifies how vital our partnership with Qatar is and will remain.”
Taliban-Qatar relations
Other Taliban members have already been living in Qatar for years. Last summer, the group actually opened a political office in Dafna, which was reportedly supposed to help negotiations between the Taliban, the Afghan government and the US.
But the headquarters closed less than a week later after drawing the fire of President Hamad Karzai in Kabul. He took offense to the raising of a flag and installation of a placard that named the building the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” – the former name of the country when it was under Taliban rule.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, a US official said the country hopes the prisoner transfer will help with future negotiations:
“This transfer is part of a larger reconciliation framework,” said the senior defense official. “We have always maintained that reconciliation was the ultimate goal here.”
The five Taliban officials will not be the first Guantanamo prisoners to move to Doha.
Sami Al Hajj, an Al Jazeera cameraman who was detained shortly after the attacks on the US on Sept. 11, 2001, was cleared and released in 2008. He later received a hero’s welcome in Doha and is now head of Al Jazeera’s Public Liberties and Human Rights Desk.
Thoughts?
Wow this is going to makes us all feel safe. These are not Al Jazeera cameramen.
I am sure that these guys will be very closely monitored. Hopefully they have been unknowingly chipped so they can be identified. It was very effective on my dog and my vet was reasonably priced. After their year off here, if they show signs of getting involved again they will be bumped off.
On a note related to the comments above-
If people here are that unhappy with the Americans and their actions then ask them to leave. As far as I can see there is very strong anti American feeling here so just be done with it. Phone Tamim and ask him to close the US base. See how that works out for you going forward. How long before you would feel very crowded by your neighbours.
Regarding Israel, – stop selling them oil. If all your governments managed to put aside their differences for a while you could have a united front. The Israelis rely on the fact that you cannot stop fighting among yourselves to take concerted action. By united front, I mean financial. I don’t suggest that you fight.
Syria- there is a lot of talk about the US using its veto on things. Bear in mind that it is the Russians and Chinese that are using their veto on Syria. How come I don’t hear anything said about them here.
There is nothing to worry about, fears of boredom for these Taliban innocents have been allayed. They have already agreed to join the ‘you are one of us’ campaign and will patrol Doha shopping malls with converted swords that double as rulers for measuring the length of skirts. Anyone found in violation will be subject to an honour killing. It’s not all bad though as free bukas will be handed out out mall entrances and men will be shown pictures of various fashionable beard styles.
Diplomacy success for Doha..
It has potential, but it is too early to say, it could come back to bite Qatar on the gluteus. Check on it in 3-4 years.
Not yet it isn’t, check back on the issue in 2-3 years. I see it as having a 50-50 chance of biting Qatar on the gluteus.
Like Ivan, I’m not sure I agree. Sure, it gives Qatar a chance to be in the international news for something besides workers’ rights and WC bribery, but I see this backfiring in a big way. I’m happy for the soldier and his family, but I see this as a major mistake by both Qatar and the US.
Difficult to make sense of this. Are they free to move around in Qatar? Why the 1 year travel ban…what’s the point? Will they be less dangerous after 1 year?
Just put them on the same restrictions as the workers. Then they’ll feel they never left Gitmo.
According to the BBC News the 5 released Taliban inmates have been accused of war crimes which included the murder of thousands of Shia Muslims, had direct links to Osama Bin Laden, and formed alliances with Islamic fundamentalist groups to fight against the US and coalition forces, I’m sure they will settle down after the 1 year travel ban – ye right!!
im sure being accused of crimes by an invading force means your guilty
Yeah these guys are just the islamic version of choir boys. So sweet and innocent but they somehow lost their way onto battlefields where they were captured while killing a few of their own while looking for the place where choir practice was being held. Bad luck I guess.
And get your facts straight. We are only in Afghanistan because of 9/11. We asked the Taliban to give up OBL but they refused. Did you think, after 9/11, we’d just say “OH, OK” and leave it alone?
Your ‘brothers” brought this on themselves. Or maybe you’re an AQ apologist.
American propaganda at its finest. No wonder you guys love Fox news. None of the 19 hijackers were from Afghanistan. 15 of the 19 September 11 hijackers were citizens of the U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia.
Taliban at that time said that we cannot expel anyone just like that on American wishes. If they have some proof against OBL they should present it to us and then we will see what can be done about it. They didn’t provide any proof.
I think the proof was in OBL proclaiming he HAD done it. Please lets not make moronic statements about “proof”. Yes, the Taliban, the leaders of democratic processes in the middle east and west asia. So you say 9/11 is all Fox News propaganda?
Is it the same kind of proof that Bush and company showed when they invaded Iraq?
Iraq and Afghanistan are like comparing apples and oranges. 2 completely different things.
Hey now… not all of us love Fox news!
lol And the reason you invaded Iraq was because….! Nice job too!
Once again, it’s you who needs get you facts straight; in spite of all the hype, the U.S. had no evidence that would be admissible in court of law to prove Osama bin Laden was in any legal way responsible for 9/11. The Taliban did in fact offer to have bin Laden stand trial in a neutral country, but little Bush would have none of that. His motto was, “Either your with us or against us.”
The Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salem Zaeef, responded to the ultimatum by demanding “convincing evidence”[120] that Bin Laden was involved in the attacks, stating “our position is that if America has evidence and proof, they should produce it. “Additionally, the Taliban insisted that any trial of Bin Laden be held in an Afghan court. Zaeef also claimed that “4,000 Jews working in the Trade Center had prior knowledge of the suicide missions, and ‘were absent on that day.’ This response was generally dismissed as a delaying tactic, rather than a sincere attempt to cooperate with the ultimatum.
On September 22, the United Arab Emirates, and later Saudi Arabia, withdrew recognition of the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legal government, leaving neighbouring Pakistan as the only remaining country with diplomatic ties. On October 4, the Taliban agreed to turn bin Laden over to Pakistan for trial in an international tribunal that operated according to Islamic Sharia law, but Pakistan blocked the offer as it was not possible to guarantee his safety.On October 7, the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan offered to detain bin Laden and try him under Islamic law if the U.S. made a formal request and presented the Taliban with evidence. A Bush administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, rejected the Taliban offer, and stated that the U.S. would not negotiate their demands.
Really so you actually believe OBL had nothing to do with any of it?
Gosh I could make a cute cartoon as well. Lets see how about Pre Taliban with people walking around intact. And post Taliban with people walking around sans heads.
You should take this up with your own government, which offered substantial material and logistical support for both invasions.
I wonder how the same cartoonist will depict Syria after both sides (backed by competing Muslim neighbors) have finished slaughtering each other. The Syrian tragedy and exodus is making Iraq and Afghanistan look like warm-ups. I guess you could say that this is another example of Arabs leading the world and setting new records.
records in death and destruction? no western countries already set records for that we can never dream of beating 🙁
True, especially when considering the last century, what with the Vietnam War, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, etc. But two wrongs don’t make a right and @DavidRSS8:disqus has a point. Let’s not make this a blame game. The whole situation, I think, is a diplomatic success, but are you comfortable knowing that war criminals will be residing in the country for the next year? We all know the Taliban aren’t exactly angelic. I don’t know, I just think it’s scary
And you believe that?
two world wars, colonising africa,south america, the slave trade, genocide of native Americans, to name a few so yeah were not even close to catching up
I really think you need to read your Asian history.
im arab, while we had our share of dark times we havent had the numbers in even a single one of the examples i gave above
2 World Wars were fought and many died for a legit reason. Please don’t show your ignorance by comparing those who fought in WWI and WWII to psychopathetic monkeys yelling “God Is Great” as they blow up innocent people, chop off heads of non believers or shoot little girls in the head for going to school.
you do realise western countries includes natzi germany right? not to mention the allies committed there share of war crimes at the same time in various countries
OK when his Taliban bros come knocking, after the US and Europe get tired of the disrespect by the people they’re actually protecting here, I hope you enjoy your life. So your try to justify your comments by comparing to Nazis? You still can’t deal with what your religion has wrought.
sounds good 🙂
what comment am i justifying? that people deserve a fair trial regardless of which side of a conflict they stand on? yes my religon has caused the genocide of native americans? the enslavment and death of millions of Africans? the holocaust? the colonising of parts of every continent on the planet? i see the wrong doings of people from the same/ similar cultures as me but when i compare them to yours its clear your way ahead in spreading misery
Difference is none were done in the name of religion. Every act in this region, and when it’s exported, begins with Allahuh Akbar and done in the name of religion. Whether you agree with them or not that is their purpose. To make us all live in a strict sharia society where if you don’t believe you will be murdered, if you want to listen to music, dance, go to school as a female, …. I think you get my point. You really think “we’re ahead” in spreading misery?Seriously dude? You must be delusional.
so slavery, genocide, invading and colonising other countries, forcing the natives out to take there land are all cool as long as there not done for religious reasons?
if you consider entire history absolutely no question your ahead the numbers are staggering. people in this part of the world talk about killing millions but you actually went ahead and did it.
Actually, colonization was done in the name of religion. Christian Europeans wanted to do us “savages” all a favor and convert us to their religion. We were the white man’s burden remember? Let’s go back further in history and take a look at the Spanish Inquisition, when the Catholic Royal Family of Spain ordered the conversion of Jews to Christianity after the fall of the Islamic Empire. These Jews fled with the remaining Muslims in Spain to North Africa. Basically, every religion has had violence committed in its name. Even today, Christian militias are slaughtering Muslims in the Central African Republic, Buddhist Burmese people set Muslim Rohinga homes on fire in Myanmar. Let’s not blame all the world’s violence on an entire religion. That’s delusional
God I wish you’d show us how tired you are of the “disrespect” you see from us. But I guess the money is too good to let a little something like “disrespect” make you pack and leave. Greed is good I guess.
Exactly, I just consider the source. Like on here. I group in you in with LoveItOrLeaveIt and the like.
Until the time I find a good job at home I’ll keep cashing checks and apparently annoying the crap out of you lol. Right now it’s not greed just necessity. Honestly I’m far from greedy.
Annoyed? lol not in the least, amused mostly, and pity sometimes. I mean, you keep saying how we all treat you expats with disrespect and disdain, how we try to kill you with our Land Cruisers every time you’re on the road, and yet you still work for us. I guess I have too much self respect to do that.
As for grouping, Love it or Leave it is good company, especially compared to this:
LOL dude you’re a classic. Your cute cartoons and all. And for the record Qatar is one of the most racist places I’ve ever lived. Most expats just want to live and work in peace. Seriously, dealing with the few of you who make life difficult and dangerous, is just part of life here and we always figure you’ll join the 20th century, much less the 21st, sometime soon.
You always do this. Go to a story that’s been dead for days and start shouting your rhetoric. From the other responses to your drivel I’d say I’m not the only one who has a problem with your views.
Most time from your hate speech it feels like you’re ready to be one of the monkeys. Bananas all around.
I just realized that coming from you, monkey is compliment 🙂 Thanks for the laughs man 😀
You do realize that China’s various wars and crimes equals that of Germany?
I’m arab not Chinese, Chinese culture/history and war crimes got what to do with this discussion comparing Arabs and the western world?
Arab is a sub-category of Asian. You need to compare like and like. You can compare Western and Asian, you can not compare Arab and Western. You can compare Arab and Nordic or Celtic, sub-categories of their mother category, but comparing things that lack equivalency is difficult.
Comparing arab and white work?
Nope. Russians are caucasian (or white as you put it), but they are not at all Western. Many Chechens are white, but are very far from Western. Western is a mind-set, not an ethnicity.
Arab is also a mind set rather than an ethnicity. A guy from Sudan with very African features can be arab and a guy with more European features from lebanon or Syria can also be arab. So by comparing arab to western aren’t we comparing to mindsets as you put it and hence have an equivalence
This raises interesting questions, but it still remains that Arab is a sub-category of Asian, which you can more usefully compare to other sub-categories. Western is far too big and vague, people can’t even agree what it means or which countries/cultures are part of it. Arab has 22 self-identified countries, which makes it much easier.
As to your African/Arab comparison, how accurate is that, particularly given the very troubled history between indigenous Africans and their Arab colonizers, i.e. as in Sudan? I will accept that individuals routinely take on the mindset of their colonizers, as in an African tribesmen taking on Arab values, or a Vietnamese taking on French values. When is their enough mass to say that the society has changed rather than the individual? Very interesting questions to examine.
This raises interesting questions, but it still remains that Arab is a sub-category of Asian, which you can more usefully compare to other sub-categories. Western is far too big and vague, people can’t even agree what it means or which countries/cultures are part of it. Arab has 22 self-identified countries, which makes it much easier.
As to your African/Arab comparison, how accurate is that, particularly given the very troubled history between indigenous Africans and their Arab colonizers/invaders, i.e. as in Sudan? I will accept that individuals routinely take on the mindset of their colonizers, as in an African tribesmen taking on Arab values, or a Vietnamese taking on French values. When is their enough mass to say that the society has changed rather than the individual? Very interesting questions to examine.
wouldnt that mean white is a subcatagory of western? celctic, nordic, etc share a common culture and blood. arabs and chinese share nothing. you go into those countries you will find the ethnic make up is pretty much the same. go to america and it went from being the majority native americans to a majority white. when we invade colonise our focus is to change the people. as for western countries the focus is on obliterating the natives and taking there place
Mmmm, could you clarify and expand on what you’re saying here, I’m not quite following.
A) if arab is a subcatagory of asian. then why isnt white a subcatagory of western (hence were comparing two subcategories)
B) whites from various backgrounds share a common blood/history. while arabs and chinese dont share blood or history. hence it makes sense to put various white groups in one catagory but doesnt make sense to put arabs in the same catagory with another group we dont share common blood with. it would actually make more sence to lump arabs and africans together than arabs and chinese seeing as we share more with africans than we do with the chinese
anyway this is straying far from the original subject, imprisonment and assumption of guilt of a person without a trial is wrong . therefore we cant assume the taliban guys committed war crimes simply because there in the taliban anymore than we can assume a solider committed a war crime simply because hes american. if you wish to continue the above convo please reach me on fb as i dont wana take up anymore of this thread
Yes, we are a bit off topic.
As to the Taliban, well, yes, actually we can. Taking up arms as irregular forces is by definition makes them unprivileged combatants – they are not members of a uniformed national force engaged in international conflict. If the Taliban gentlemen were nabbed on battlefield with weapons, regardless of what else they may or my not have done, they are subject to detention, as I understand the third Geneva convention. The same does not apply to uniformed soldiers in a national force.
There is really no need for a trial unless other, more specific charges are being pursued. As I understand it, no other charges were pursued, but that doesn’t preclude their detention until the end of hostilities.
You know, you’re very fond of name calling to humanize non-Whites who commit acts of evil while Whites who do seem to always to have “legit” reasons or at the very least don’t represent the majority of their people! What legit reasons did Hitler have to do what he did? What legit reasons did you have to do what you did to the native Americans?
Those who fought against the nazis and fascist during WWI and II were not committing acts of evil but correcting those that waere occurring. I’d say that those who fought in those wars represented 99% of their peeps. What legitimate reason does the Taliban, AQ, ISIS,and the rest of those monkeys have for their actions? For killing and kidnapping girls for going to school, non muslims for not believing, flying planes into buildings,… oh the list is long and myriad. I personally did nothing to the indians nor owned slaves. But those indiscretions by my forefathers were corrected long ago. Stop comparing apples and oranges or maybe I’ll think you need a banana as well.
The Taliban and the likes don’t represent all Muslims, no more than the Nazis represented all Westerns, Christians, or Whites. Your war with Al Qedia and the Taliban wouldn’t have been possible without the help of all the Muslim countries that have allowed you the usage of their land and intelligence resources. How about a thank you.
ROFL, you call the near complete eradication of the native Americans and slavery an INDISCRETION!!! Try saying that publicly back home and see what’ll happen.
Thanks for the banana offer, but knowing where you’d been keeping it, I’m not sure I’d want it.
Honestly dude I just enjoy yankin your chain. You’re too predictable with your thinking and respoonses and for real I could give a flying f@#k what you think.
And yet you still come back for more 😀
And a thank you for what? Keeping you from having to speak Persian? The west has been protecting you for decades. lol
Funny, the Persians have been our neighbors for thousands of years, yet we still speak Arabic 🙂
Oh, you Asians have quite the history of warfare of your own. Why don’t you start making a list and you’ll see that it is a very close run thing – and the slave trade was as much Arab and African as it was European. Do you really want to get into a contest comparing European colonization with Arab invasions and colonizations? I have a few Berber friends who would be quite happy to have a chat with you. Not a contest anyone would want to win. The big thing is that the Arab colonizers are still largely there, while the European ones have largely left.
Sure, the native Americans alone you win. There were millions of African slaves in america, you think arab countries had those same numbers? Can you show a source for that?
The last 12 months in Syria have more than topped any single year in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in terms of casualties and refugees.
But that’s not my point. My point is that such conflicts are messy, and that is ridiculous to continually finger point at a couple of nations as being the problem. Such approaches diminish the global responsibility for such tragedies and make the world ripe for having to endure them again and again. In particular, before Qataris finger-point of Iraq and Afghanistan in threads like this, they need to first examine their own nation’s participation.
“The last 12 months in Syria have more than topped any single year in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in terms of casualties and refugees.”
and haven’t reached a fraction of the numbers seen in western countries history of war
to your second point its not my intention to place blame on a single country for all the worlds problems everyone makes mistakes (although the mistakes of huge world powers have a much bigger impact on the world) the point i was initially making is its wrong to imprison, assume guilt and handout punishments without even giving a trial even if the accused is a despicable person
“its wrong to imprison, assume guilt and handout punishments without even giving a trial even if the accused is a despicable person”
I completely agree.
Actually, that would be the Asians, but it is a sad contest either way.
Arabs don’t stand a chance in reaching western or east asian numbers 🙁
Better get cracking on that, time for some quality time with the wife or girlfriend, wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Got to do your part you know. 😉
Not quite what I meant by numbers but I like the way you think
The important thing to keep numbers up is that any lady friend of yours (if that is your disposition) thinks the same as you on the topic.
Well now, funny how people like you often claim that you have little control over your countries involvement in such wars, even though you live in a democracy, yet you expect those of us who don’t live in one to be able to influence such matters! I guess you missed the part about what Bush said.
Yes, what’s going on in Syria is so bad, that the invading U.S. both Iraq and Afghanistan is okay!
“Well now, funny how people like you often claim that you have little control over your countries involvement in such wars”
When have I ever said that???
More seriously though, I am surprised Qatar is willing to be used like the U.S. like this. A few years ago it wouldn’t have surprised me, but it does now.
Just out of curiosity–are you seriously advocating releasing these guys on the streets of Doha as a good thing because they are swell guys?
im shia so there no “brothers” of mine, i just think people deserve a fair trial before there locked up and tortured and we shouldn’t punish some war crimes and forget others based on wither the perpetrators are wearing suits or afghani clothes
And hence the problem. Aren’t you all muslims? lol that’s a pretty telling statement
Yes we are, but extremist organisations like the Taliban like to create divisions between members of the Afghan population because it’s easier to gain power in a divided country than a united one. Everybody needs a scapegoat, right? At least that’s why I think they do it. The Taliban may claim their actions are done in the name of Islam, but I’m not buying it. I’m a Muslim myself, and I don’t want to be painted with the same brush, I am not from the same specie. Their reprehensible actions cannot be attributed to their piety, they’re doing it because they’re sick megalomaniacs who like to pick on young girls yearning for a decent education. Period.
That’s what people in the west don’t understand. Western powers have done terrible things I agree but the scale of what they see going on in Syria, Libya, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc etc… Where’s the frickin’ outrage!!!??? Non existent.
Yes, I am familiar with the sentiments expressed, I sometimes watch the OReilly show… No, but in all seriousness this region is completely unstable. People are more worried about their own economic and political stability than decrying other people’s actions. In terms of the Gulf nations, I don’t know, I guess some of us think it’s obvious we don’t agree with the terrorists… I mean, places like Dubai are hardly safe havens. Also, the Arab world does have a history of imprisoning Islamists, for example the Muslim Brotherhood, but these governments, like the Mubarrak regime, have also actively been repressive and have committed human rights abuses. Therefore, they lose credibility with the people, and the people want to give the Islamists a chance, and then the vicious cycle begins. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you once said you can understand Arabic right? You should watch Bassem Youssef’s interview with Jon Stewart, he explains it way better than I do. In fact, I don’t even think my above explanation makes much sense
If yo value your sanity, don’t watch anything on Fox News.
LOL I know, it’s an absolute joke. I watched Glenn Beck interviewing Sarah Palin once and it was so funny! It’s great entertainment 😀
i have no issue with a religious belief, muslim, christian jewish or any other including section of any faith. i call any good person brother/sister and any questionable people i would defend there rights but wouldnt go far enough to proclaim brotherhood
Whilst I feel happy for the Sergeant and his family, I no longer think I’ll feel safe in my own country… Seriously, like two of the men have been accused of mass killings of Shia Muslims! It is a diplomatic success, but I don’t know how they’re going to keep war criminals under control for a year, and then what’s going to happen after a year? Will they be released to Afghanistan? Would they not still be a security risk, this time not only to the US but also to Qatar? I don’t know…
Maybe a few years in prison has changed them and they’re all about rainbows and (modestly covered) unicorns now?
America must think prison works or why else would they put such a ridiculously high percentage of their own citizens in the slammer?
LOL “modestly covered unicorns”? I like that. But in all seriousness, I highly doubt that. Then again, I’ve always believed the Taliban are hypocrites and members probably don’t practice what they preach… They’re using my religion as a political tool to try and maintain power and control over a country. It doesn’t matter how long you put them in prison, it won’t deter them from wanting to gain control over Afghanistan once again, not for Islam, but for power.
“… or why else would they put such a ridiculously high percentage of their own citizens in the slammer?” There are lots of different theories on this, including screwed up mandatory sentencing guidelines, racism, and huge profits to be made by prisons. Ever heard of UNICOR?
Not heard of it as I don’t pay all that much attention to America’s internals. I was being sarcastic about having so many people in prison being a good thing in case that didn’t come across in the general ridiculousness of the post.
Wait, does this mean those guys aren’t all rainbows and modestly covered unicorns now?! 😉
One winter a Farmer found a Viper frozen and numb with cold, and out of pity picked it up and placed it in his bosom. The Viper was no sooner revived by the warmth than it turned upon its benefactor and inflicted a fatal bite upon him; and as the poor man lay dying, he cried, “I have only got what I deserved, for taking compassion on so villainous a creature.”
Kindness is thrown away upon the evil.
So true… Keep hardened criminals where they belong… In a high-security prison
Are you guys talking about American soldiers?
No, I think we, or at least I, am talking about the freed Taliban leaders. I mean, I just can’t get over the fact that 2 of them are war criminals and have been accused of mass killings of Shia Muslims… That’s scary
And what about war crimes committed by American soldiers? I can present a long list of American criminals roaming freely but here’s one for a start.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_Massacre
The Mỹ Lai Massacre was the Vietnam War mass murder of between 347 and 504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968. It was committed by U.S. Army soldiers from the Company C of the 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the 23rd (Americal) Infantry Division. Victims included men, women, children, and infants. Some of the women were gang-raped and their bodies mutilated.Twenty six soldiers were charged with criminal offenses, but only Lieutenant William Calley Jr., a platoon leader in C Company, was convicted. Found guilty of killing 22 villagers, he was originally given a life sentence, but served only three and a half years under house arrest.
And don’t get me started on what they did in Iraq. I wonder why is that when ever an American soldier commits war crime, he never gets appropriate punishment. May be next time I will ask Taliban to make sure US soldiers in Afghanistan download a few illegal songs because then they will get life sentence in maximum security prison.
You don’t have to go all the way to Vietnam to find such examples. The number of Afghan & Iraqi civilians killed by the U.S. is even more relevant here. No trials for Bush & Blair I guess.
Absolutely right.
How about the Syrian, Iraqi and Afghani people killed by the islamist groups like the taliban, ISIS, AQ etc etc. Or do you dare to ignore the fact that the enemy to peace, and an end to killing, in all those countries has and will for the foreseeable future be homegrown? Islamist, in the name of Allah, have killed more muslims and their countrymen than any foreign power.
Do the crime, do the time – no exceptions! However, the punishment should fit that crime (life sentence for illegally downloaded music, really?). Yes, the “system” is broken, but that doesn’t mean most people (American or otherwise) wouldn’t agree Gitmo should not be allowed to operate in the first place, and that defendants everywhere should experience a fair and speedy trial. If some soldier is a hardened criminal, then of course he or she belongs in prison and it’s a cryin’ shame if they walk free, but let’s not lump everyone together now!
I keep hearing this rhetoric about most American against Gitmo and what not but as they say action speaks louder than words hence Gitmo is still open.
Unless something is “actually” done instead of just throwing words around, I don’t believe this bullshit which is American justice system.
So how exactly do you suggest the average American should go about closing Gitmo? Don’t take your anger out on us little people. Also, nobody is saying to believe anything about the American justice system. Anyone who knows anything knows it’s majorly flawed. Maybe instead of ripping on it you should suggest a solution or two.
I fully share your sentiment that nobody should take their issues with the policies of the U.S. government on the people. But if I may, I just wish to remind you that polls did show that some 52% of all Americans did support Bush’s invasion of Iraq.
They certainly never asked MY opinion in those polls! I must have been out protesting that clown of a Pres somewhere at the time. 😉
True, but these soldiers are not walking around freely in my country. I think it’s common knowledge that the world employs double standards when it comes to the US, but what I’m saying is that if someone is accused of a war crime, they shouldn’t be thrown on Qatar. Gitmo was America’s mistake, so America should act like the mature and civilized nation it claims to be and deal with its own prisoners and its own mistakes. Why should my country negotiate any deal? I mean let’s be honest here, there is no way Qatar is going to be able to fight off national security threats by one of the most notorious terrorist organisations on earth. What is more, although American actions have been questionable in Iraq and Afghanistan, that does not disprove evidence that Saddam’s regime and the Taliban’s regime were repressive. Having said that, I don’t believe war should have been the answer.
This whole thing is going to backfire because no matter what you do and no matter how you help, people are going to accuse you of being a terrorist. So let them fight their own battles.
It’s not the world but US which employs double standards.
I can write a ten thousand words essay as to how Gitmo is bad and how American people is against it but the fact is, it is still there and people have been detained without trial.
And don’t try to justify what Americans did in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Iraq invasion was based on lie, plain and simple. And the ones responsible are still roaming free.
I wasn’t trying to justify any of the wars. I completely agree with you, they were reprehensible. But there is no denying the Taliban committed atrocities, and now these people are in my country. Although Qatar achieved a diplomatic success, the question is: how is this going to work out in the long-term? Will we be criticized by the very same people we tried to help? Again, there is no disputing the fact that there are many detainees in Guantanamo who have yet to be tried. This is a breach of international human rights law, but nothing is being done about it, so yes, I do see the world employing double standards. What actions has the UN taken against this security council member? The answer is none, because the US has veto power. How many countries have strongly condemned the US and threatened to break ties with the country because of this prison? I strongly believe there are innocent people in Gitmo, but there are also criminals in Guantanamo, and my stance is that I don’t want the criminals in my country. The Al Jazeera cameraman was innocent, unlike these war criminals.
Yes, because Qatar nor any other country holds foreigners accused of crimes in prison.
lol Look who’s using the “others do it, so it’s okay” argument. Hypocrite much!
The people held in Gitmo are held there for years without being accused of anything, and then they are released with no explanation what so ever. Not to mention the fact that the U.S. has no legal right to hold them captive to begin with, as they were not on U.S. soil when they were kidnapped.
You caught me 😉
I guess I’ve been reading too many of your posts.
As I said in my previous posts it seems OK with most Arabs that ISIS, AQ, Taliban etc kill thousand upon thousands of muslim arabs/west asians yearly. Boko Haram kills sometimes hundreds a day in Africa. There seems to be a tacit ignorance and I can’t figure out why. A US bomb kills a few and there are mass protests. Syrians are being slaughtered by the hundreds weekly and it’s just ho hum. Explain it to me.
Funny how you repeatedly love to bring up boko haram but are very silent on the
Lord’s Resistance Army which has been operating for many more years and has caused a whole lot more death.
As for U.S. bombs, they have killed a whole lot more than “a few”, just like gun violence kills more people every year in the U.S. than 9/11, yet that does not seem to be a priority either.
S Hussein slaughtered how many Kurds in N Iraq? That OK because they are Kurds? It’s unfortunate but in reality they were just finishing up what they didn’t in the first Gulf War. Was that first war justified? Afghanistan. Was that justified?
Yeah, look who was friends with Saddam back then:
The world applies double standards for virtually every country. If a country is more powerful, then it just does it more often. Think of it as wasta on a global scale. Only those that don’t have it, complain about it (with few exceptions).
Haha I like that “wasta on a global scale”… I think I’ll use it from now on 🙂
My take on this is that this gives the U.S. a way to get back their soldier, who probably suffered more than enough, while at the same time saving some face as the Taliban men are not just set free back home.
I’m not sure what security threat you’re thinking of here. The Taliban are not Al Qedia, and they have never shown interest beyond ruling Afghanistan. Beyond that, Qatar is both small and has a very good internal security system that it would be difficult for either Al Qedia or the Taliban, to cause any real trouble, and there is little benefit in it for them too.
Perhaps, but don’t you think if the Americans got into this mess in the first place, they should be the ones to fix it? You mentioned Bush’s quote ” you’re either with us or them”, but what I don’t get is why we can’t just be neutral. Why can’t they fight their own battles? Don’t get me wrong, I think what we did was a success diplomatically, but these are hardened criminals and I wouldn’t feel comfortable having them in the country under any circumstances. My stance is since they invaded Afghanistan in the first place, since they were the ones who caused misery and bloodshed in the country, they should be forced to fix the situation. Again, I’m glad the sergeant has been released, and I agree, he has suffered enough, but I can’t help but feel this way.
I think Qatar is indeed neutral, which is why we are able be the mediator in such cases. I think this does buy Qatar some “good will” (if the that’s the correct term). Why even president Obama had thanked Qatar for its role in this.
Try to think of a situation where you had a big fight with someone, and the two of you were just too upset to be able to resolve it. Having a neutral 3rd party come in is often the best way to resolve the conflict.
Didn’t I tell you this whole thing was going to backfire?
Read the BBC article and the new article in the Washington Post… Apparently, people think he was a deserter or something, and there are doubts about whether Qatar could actually contain the. Taliban members. Again, let’s not help those who don’t want it. Next time, I say let them do their own thing and clean up the mess they created themselves. After all, wasn’t it the Americans who trained the. Mujahideen in the first place? I say let the US fight its own battles
I’d like to add… the US ought to let others fight their own battles!
All good examples, but not one of them justifies releasing hardened criminals in Qatar.
So predictable
Does this apply to the kindness the U.S. has always extended to Israel 😉
Or any number of Qatar’s foreign policy decisions? 😉
Be very careful, you make a deal with the devil you better be able to live with the consequences.
too bad no one gave this advice to the US when they supported terrorists in Afghanistan a few decades ago
Very true, you reap what you sow. The same is true with their alliance with Saudi, with the Saudis exporting an extreme form of Islam and hatred for the west. Many Saudi nationals have been invovled in terrorist actions against the US and it’s interests.
Keep an eye out for these friendly faces next time you are at Carrefour:
http://wikileaks.org/gitmo/prisoner/4.html
http://wikileaks.org/gitmo/prisoner/579.html
http://wikileaks.org/gitmo/prisoner/6.html
http://wikileaks.org/gitmo/prisoner/7.html
http://wikileaks.org/gitmo/prisoner/832.html
They wont like Carrefour, there will be women walking around as they please.
Actually, it means the hypocrites will like it more. The last Taliban guys in Qatar used to sit at the Zionist-own starbuck sipping coffee and ogling women who walked by. They love it in Qatar.
This world we live in is a crazy scary place. People never seem to learn
Goodluck 2022….
Just wait for the backlash from the west who are determined to revoke the 2022 World Cup- Place is too hot, corrupt and now full of terrorists…..
So basically; 5 people have been sentenced to 1 year in Qatar…………..
5 people have been sentenced to 1 year in Qatar..
Just saw on MSNBC that the Taliban prisoners are living in a villa in West Bay Lagoon. Our new neighbours.