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We owe these men a reprieve from hell

By John Hirst

We owe these men a reprieve from hell

I believe that the Guantánamo detainees we have investigated represent no danger to Britain

Clive Stafford Smith

For some years now, the British Government has professed the wrongness of Guantánamo Bay. Tony Blair called it an ?anomaly?; others were more forthright. Indeed, the Cuban camp that houses about 250 prisoners, without trial or charges after seven years, is a profound exercise in hypocrisy. The West is here to promote the rule of law, proclaimed George Bush with Mr Blair at his side - but don't ask us to respect it ourselves. Because hypocrisy is the yeast that ferments hatred, the Guantánamo experiment has been a recruiting sergeant for extremism. And so long as the suicide bombers flock to the standard, everyone is a loser.

Britain has a choice: either to help to close the prison or to stand idly by as the endless news coverage of men in orange jumpsuits inflames another tranche of angry youths. The naysayers suggest that bringing some of the prisoners to Britain would be an invitation to dangerous terrorists. With respect, this view is based on a misapprehension of the facts.

Full post as published by prisonlawinsideout on January 03, 2009 (boomark / email).