. . . and for other measures, which he hopes to get by making the $100 billion Bush wants for continuing the war contingent on meeting his demands. (Murtha being chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.)
Will it work?
If the prison is closed, will the prisoners simply be shipped to their home countries? Or moved into the general federal jail system? Or what?
Are you familiar with the other house of congress? It’s called the Senate.
How do you think he’s going to get that thru the Senate?
So, “will it work”? Of course not, and I can’t imagine you haven’t figured that out yet.
But the funding has to be approved by both houses. It is still as if he has seized W by the base of his snarblies.
I’d be willing to settle for a Gitmo clone in the United States mainland. Just the fact that attorneys could drive up to the door anytime, as could the Red Cross and whoever, would force the government to adhere much more closely to civilized norms.
Anyway, I hope Murtha succeeds, and I think he’s got a chance. After all, if the GOP filibusters this bill, or if Bush vetoes it, they’re the ones cutting off funding for our brave boys fighting…whoever the hell we’re fighting in Iraq.
The troops are already going to be there, or on their way. Congress isn’t going to defund troops in the field.
Wanna bet?
If Congress wants to stop Bush, they are going to have to find the backbone to revoke the AUMF, and even then I’m not sure that will work.
Also, they would no longer be able to use the “not U.S. territory for all legal purposes” theory.
What about all those secret CIA prisons? I’m sure they’d just be spread amongst those.
My guess, is that they’ll be shipped to some other military/CIA/whatever run prison, or “rendered” over to some country like Syria, or simply “shot while trying to escape” or dying of “natural causes”. Or tied up and dumped out of a cargo plane into the middle of the ocean and we’ll deny we ever had them.
Shh! That’s a secret!