Press Release
Published on February 9, 2012
Washington, DC –In response to a report authored by Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee that is critical of both the Bush and Obama administration’s handling of detainee transfers from the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo, Cuba, Human Rights First’s Dixon Osburn issued the following statement:
“This report uses a vague standard to define recidivism that has been previously discredited. It also fails to take into account that the majority of men swept up in Afghanistan, often turned in by others seeking a quick bounty paid by the U.S. government, and subsequently sent to Guantanamo, were have been cleared for release by our intelligence community. It is vital to get the facts right rather than continue to peddle misinformation about Guantanamo. This detention facility remains a stain on America’s honor. It will remain so until we drain that swamp. Those who are cleared for transfer must be released to their home or third countries. Those who stand accused of crimes should be charged and tried in federal courts so that they can demonstrate that the charges they face are false or be convicted. Justice has been long denied to the American people– through incompetence and congressional meddling. It’s time for progress, not more politics.”
