IRAQ SECURITY PACT WITH US

“A government that is more dangerous to our liberty than the enemies it claims to protect us from.
Keith Olberman October 17, 2006 in response to Bush signing military commissions act October 17, 2006.

Iraq security pact poses detainee problem for U.S. AP November 24, 2008

“Iraq security pact poses detainee problem”, (Newsday, Nov 24, 2008). The authors reval that the American military in Iraq is rushing to prepare criminal cases against some 5,000 detainees held in Camp Cropper Bagdhad, as well as other camps in Iraq, because the proposed security pact with Iraq would end it the American military’s right to hold prisoners without charge as they have since 2003. Some “high value” prisoners have been incarcerated for five years without knowing what they are charged with. Some were juveniles when arrested in “sweeps” and are now adults. Beginning on January 1, “all detentions would have to be based on evidence (i.e. habeas corpus would be in effect in Iraq) and the US will have to prosecute detainees in Iraqi courts or failing that…release them.” The report reveals that the US has evidence on “only a few hundred” out of the nearly 17,000 detainees held in American-run Iraqi jails. The rest are held on hearsay evidence, or were caught up during sweeps of areas where jihadists might have been.

There was something that deeply bothered me about this story. Perhaps it was the irony that a fractured, ethnically divided, recently-conquered Middle Eastern nation, just breaking away from a long history of tyranny and disastrous occupation and with the experience of democratic process one can count on one hand, has forced the USA- kicking and screaming in opposition—to apply the laws of habeus corpus which we as a nation (rightly) brag of as our own.