Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Moran-Smith-Nadler amendment. We are told by some in the majority that enemy soldiers should not have constitutional rights. But, Mr. Chairman, a majority, concededly, of those at Guantanamo, were never involved in a hostile act against the United States, and 86 percent were turned in for bounties. We don't know whether these people are enemy soldiers. Some of them may be and some of them are probably not. And we don't know that they are terrorists. Those facts must be determined in a fair proceeding of some sort, but at Guantanamo there are no proceedings. They haven't managed to hold military trials. And we can't hold civilian trials there. So we are holding people for no purpose, with no proceedings, no hearings, no opportunity, for essentially forever. The time to close Guantanamo is now. Guantanamo is a stain on our national honor. Never mind all the foreign policy reasons why it is poisoning our relations with foreign countries and instigating terrorism against it. The fact is, it is wrong. We are holding 154 people at Guantanamo, 77 of whom have been cleared for release. That is to say, they have been found guilty of nothing, are thought to be guilty of nothing, and have been judged not to pose any danger. Nonetheless, they are not released. There is no reason and there is no right for us to hold them further. The others should be brought to the United States and tried for their offenses. Mr.…”