Gitmo debates

Watching the talk shows, reading the reports, one gets the impression that there is a lot of confusion about what is going on at Guantanamo Bay prison, and whether there is something wrong, or there are lessons to be learned, etc.

I think that the first step that needs to be taken is the questions must be sorted out properly. There are some fairly dumb people out there who think there is just one question and that one answer will suffice. There are even more people who confuse “sorting out the issues” with confusing them. After all, they reason, people who talk too much must be trying to cover things up. So what are the questions?

First, what is actually going on there? Is it a “gulag, as Amnesty International” reports? Are we abusing holy books? Are we torturing prisoners?

Second, who are the people there? Are they legitimately terrorists? What sorts of information do we have? How do we know?

Third, is what is going on there in violation of international treaties?

Fourth, is what is going on there a violation of US law?

Fifth, can someone make a case that whatever is going on there is wrong?

Sixth, is whatever we are doing there a good or bad idea? Does it help us get information? Does it make people who otherwise would have approved of the US, now oppose it? Are the people there, people we need to keep off the streets of their respective countries.

By failing to sort out these questions we risk talking past each other and getting nothing done.