NO, YOU TAKE THEM. What, NO, YOU TAKE THEM. What, British citizens left to the tender mercies of Washington
? While "Washington’s military lawyers are arguing for most of the prisoners
to be sent back to their home countries", apparently the Brits want no part of it:

Ministers have privately told Washington they want the British Al-Qaeda prisoners held in Cuba to be tried in America if there is sufficient evidence against them — and not sent back to the UK. The government believes that trying them in Britain would be legally problematic and that any failed prosecution might lead to the suspects being released onto British streets.

Also because, according to an unnamed minister, they believe the American military was too careless in collecting evidence:

“Picking people up, giving them a good going over and sticking them on a plane to Cuba isn’t what our police and security services would do. Our forces would have gone through the whole thing on the ground much more closely in terms of following through the contacts of the individuals, where they are based and witnesses and so on."

But at the same time:

“If there is sufficient evidence for a trial we believe that the US should do it. We would have to try them under the 1351 Treason Act, which would be a bit avant-garde.”

Avant-garde? Besides, trying them under your laws wouldn't be half as satisfying as criticizing us for trying them under our laws, would it? All sarcasm aside, I have nothing against legitimate criticism of, and debate about, how these prisoners are being or should be handled. But I think this article illustrates how thorny a problem this is for the U.S., and how self-righteous and hypocritical some of that criticism is.
Posted by Moira Breen at January 19, 2002 06:43 PM