Briton likely to end up in Guantanamo

BBC News: Briton ‘facing Guantanamo spell’

The BBC reports that a British Muslim is likely to be sent to the Guantánamo concentration camp if an extradition request is honoured, according to a US attorney. Thomas Loughlin, as an expert witness, claimed that a diplomatic note issued by the US embassy “with an assurance that, if extradited, Mr Aswat would not be detained indefinitely without trial, tried in a military court or be treated as an enemy combatant” was not binding on the US President:

Asked what would happen if Mr Aswat was categorised as an enemy combatant by President Bush, he replied: “He could be held indefinitely in military custody without charge or trial of any kind - possibly until the war on terror is over.”

And furthermore:

If designated an enemy combatant, Mr Aswat could also face trial by a military commission, which has the power to convict someone on hearsay evidence or evidence obtained by torture, Mr Loughlin said.

The only right of appeal after that would be directly to the US president himself, he added.

He said the fact that the US had alleged Mr Aswat was a member of al-Qaeda was enough for him to be defined as an enemy combatant.

So, now is there any pretext for our supine and treacherous government to deport British citizens and taxpayers to face American military kangaroo courts? (The normal US courts are not great guarantors of justice, for that matter.)

Possibly Related Posts:


Share

You may also like...