Closing Guantanamo Prison - Essay Example

1. The opposing arguments in your body paragraphs are muddled. Let’s work on focusing your paragraphs: PLEASE FOLLOW YOUR IDEA. Opposing Argument Guantanamo should remain open because . . . Rebuttal 1. Released prisoners will become terrorist and criminal. The absence of proper justice and the deprivation of the basic birthrights. 2. A vital source of intelligence. The intelligence got wrong information. And coercion in Guantanamo. 3. They also assume that these prisoners should be tortured and punished to prevent such people and groups from carrying out their plans . Finally, there is no benefit of keeping Guantanamo Bay prison open but increasing the number of haters, spiteful and extremists 21st century has seen a wave of terrorism that is spreading out all over the world. The world expected a peaceful world especially after the collapse of Soviet Union but unfortunately this dream of peace seems farfetched today. The terror attacks of 9/11 changed the history of the world and introduced fear and terror in the hearts of even the most civilized and developed nations of the world. Attacking Afghanistan was the first reaction of United States and the developed world (UK and US) after the 9/11 attacks. This war has brought with its many controversies and ethical issues, and one of these issues is related to a prison in Cuba named Guantanamo Prison. This disreputable prison is famous for torture and inhuman treatment of its inmates, most of whom are terrorists from Afghanistan. [When did this prison start? How many prisoners are in Guantanamo?] Some people agree on remaining this prison open but they majority don’t. The debate on whether to close this prison or to keep it open has been going on since the release of pictures of torture in the prison. It is very important to understand the thinking behind the acceptance of this prison. People in general think that these prisoners are criminals and they do not deserve the right to defend them. They are also considered as a vital source of intelligence. Nevertheless, I strongly believe that Guantanamo Bay prison should be closed forever. It has been argued that Guantanamo Bay prison should remain open because if the prisoners are released, then they will join terrorist groups. In fact, these prisoners are criminals and may be a threat for national security so that they must be detained in the prison. However, what people don’t understand is the fact that they are making an assumption that all the prisoners detained there are criminals and will sooner or later join terrorist groups. This assumption is absolutely wrong because these prisoners are deprived of their basic rights and military courts are biased to pass any judgment about them. A criminal is a person who is proven guilty by law but when there is no law in the prison then how can we judge that these prisoners are criminals. It is vital to understand that no proper justice is carried out in these prisons and this is why such prisoners cannot be named as criminals and such judgment of them joining terrorist groups doesn't make any sense. People also ignore the inhumane actions of the forces in the Guantanamo Bay prison reasoning that to the suppose damage these prisoners have caused to the society (Cratty, 2009). Thus, a proper justice must be existed in order to determine whether or not these prisoners are criminals. Moreover, what these people fail to understand is the fact that justice is the right of everyone. The whole purpose of justice system is to make sure that no one is wrongfully convicted or sentenced. If everyone could judge and decide about guilt or innocence of a person, then why there is a need for the justice system? The fact that many American citizens have lost their life cannot be ignored but this should not neglect the right of these prisoners to prove their involvement level in such acts, if any. People should understand that everyone has some basic rights and they cannot be hijacked for any reason whatsoever. Do serial killers not get trailed in US courts? Why should terrorist be different? There are many problems that come when a proper system is not used for arresting people. The definition of terrorist has become very subjective and because there is no check many innocent people have found their place in the Guantanamo Bay prison (Rona, 2007). This is a consequence of not choosing the right path of justice because power cannot be given to one person or a few people. Therefore, arbitrary judgment about inmates and depriving them from their basic right is not fair at all and for this reason the prison should be closed. Another argument is that that Guantanamo Bay prison should remain open because it is a vital source of intelligence and because the U.S. government will actually lose control by closing it. On the other hand, this argument holds no value because intelligence cannot sanction unethical behavior or torture. People don’t understand that there is no reason to believe that all people imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay prison are not terrorists. They should be allowed to prove their innocence and evidence should be presented in courts that prove their guilt. Only then they will criminals otherwise not and without this procedure no one can sanction torture on them. Although not all prisoners in Guantanamo Bay prison are terrorists, such prison is a breeding ground for revenge and not source of intelligence. The most obvious disadvantage of the prison is that it is producing extremist rather than curbing their number (Stephanopoulos, G. 2009). It could be further asserted that Guantanamo Bay prisoners should be punished and tortured to stop such groups from such acts. In contrast, the first and foremost reason for closing the prison is that it is not ethical to torture people period. No matter what a person has done he or she should not be tortured because such act cannot be proportional or rational. A criminal should be punished according to law but he or she should not be tortured without a justified sentence. It is not justified that prisoners are ill-treated and are not given their basic birthright. The abuse or torture cannot be checked or observed and most of the times it is more than what is required (Mariner, J. 2006). People are angry on the 9/11 attacks and therefore they want terrorists to be punished but the consequences of ignoring the very principles of justice will be dangerous for the country. There were around 400 detainees in Guantanamo Bay prison in 2006 (The Associated Press, 2006). It’s 2011 today and can we say that the world is a safer place today because of the prison. If we simply do a cost benefit analysis then it is clear that the benefit of the prison is not nearly as beneficially as suggested by the US government. It is just bringing a bad name to the US government and increasing the anger of neutral people and they are holding extreme views now. Tomorrow another group of people will be regarded as threats so will their rights will also be stolen. There is no end of problems and therefore the prison of Guantanamo Bay should be closed immediately and all prisoners should be allowed to fight their case in international courts. Therefore, the perception of keeping the prison open needs to be changed because it is illogical and irrational to believe that all prisoners must be punished. Furthermore, the appealing of remaining the prison open destroys the public image of United States of America. The opinion of close allies of United States of America is also not in favor of the prison. UK has also called for closing the prison (Russell & Morris, 2006). This shows how this prison is tainting the reputation of America. The reaction outside US is not good regarding the prison. As a result, reasoning violations of human rights leads to great intelligence and to gain great reputation is not accepted and will lead to unexpected consequences and for this reason the prison should be closed In the conclusion, Guantanamo Bay Prison should be closed immediately. Guantanamo Bay prison is a well-known prison in torturing and punishing prisoners with different treatment worse than animals and with depriving them from their basic birthrights. Some people would argue Guantanamo Bay prison should remain open reasoning that these prisoners are criminals and for this reason they should have no rights to defend themselves, and they should be punished. However, I strongly agree that Guantanamo Bay prison should be closed and immediately. The basic rights of a criminal cannot be violated because a person cannot be termed a criminal until he or she is proven to be guilty. Before that there is no way a person can be kept in prison and for this reason the Guantanamo Bay prison should be closed. It is very clear that every logical person would argue that the prison should be closed. Rights of a person cannot be taken and there is no exception to this. There would be no equality in the society if different people were treated differently. The perception of people is a major hindrance in closing the prison needs to be changed and the Guantanamo Bay prison should be closed immediately. References Annan: U.S. should shut Guantanamo prison. (2006). The Associated Press. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11381321/ns/us_nws-security/ Cratty, C. (2009). Sept. 11 families: Keep Guantanamo Bay open, CNN Politics. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2009-07-17/politics/gitmo.families_1_guantanamo-detainees-military-commissions-terror-trials?_s=PM:POLITICS Mariner, J. (2006). Four Good Reasons Why Guantanamo Should Be Closed, Find Law Website. Retrieved from http://writ.news.findlaw.com/mariner/20061122.html?ref=jauin.da.ru Russell & Morris. (2006). Beckett admits Guantanamo Bay camp should be closed down, The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/beckett-admits-guantanamo-bay-camp-should-be-closed-down-419858.html Rona, G. (2007). Should Guantanamo Bay Be Closed? Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved from http://www.cfr.org/terrorism-and-the-law/should-guantanamo-bay-closed/p13725 Stephanopoulos, G. (2009). Military Chief: Gitmo 'Needs to Be Closed', ABC News. Retrieved from http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/05/military-chief.html P&Q Page What is the source? Original: Brian Long acknowledged that some of the detainees may have gone through some inhumane treatment through the years, but he thinks they are being well taken care of now. "The only injustice is being orchestrated by our leader by making decisions about something he knew nothing about. paraphrase: People also ignore the inhumane actions of the forces in the Guantanamo Bay prison on the account of the suppose damage these prisoners have caused to the society. What is the source? Original: But many of the prisoners are not even alleged to have engaged in hostilities against the United States. They were caught up in a web of bounties paid for the delivery of “terrorists” and a definition of enemy combatant so broad as to include mere suspicion of association with alleged terrorists. paraphrase: The definition of terrorism has become very subjective and because there is no check many innocent people have found their place in the Guantanamo Bay prison in years ago. What is the source? Original: The Foreign Office report described Guantanamo Bay as "unacceptable" in an extensive section on the American naval base, which is still holding about 450 terror suspects without trial despite international fury from governments and campaigners. paraphrase: The opinion of close allies of United States of America is also not in favor of the prison. UK has also called for closing the prison. What is the source? Original: Detainees at Guantanamo have been arbitrarily detained, physically abused, and even tortured. They have spent years without any fair legal process, held on the basis of secret evidence. paraphrase: The abuse or torture cannot be checked or observed and most of the times it is more than what is required. What is the source? Original: The United States is holding about 490 men at the military detention center. They are accused of links to Afghanistan’s ousted Taliban regime or to al-Qaida, but only handfuls have been charged. paraphrase: People are angry on the 9/11 attacks and therefore they want terrorists to be punished but the consequences of ignoring the very principles of justice will be dangerous for the country. There were around 400 detainees in Guantanamo Bay prison in 2006. Original: It focuses on very difficult issues of what you do with these detainees who are there. There are some really bad people there. And so figuring out how we're gonna keep them where they need to be, keep them off the battlefield, as well as close Gitmo itself is a real challenge. paraphrase: For this reason any such actions should be condoned. The prison is actually become a breeding ground for cruel tactics and this is why it should be immediately closed. The most obvious disadvantage of the prison is that it is producing extremist rather than curbing their number. Read More