 | The US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is surrounded by controversy. Suspects in America's war on terrorism are held there, and not only do human rights groups criticize the detentions, but criticism also is coming from within the Pentagon. When cameras are allowed into Guantanamo, the military is keen to stress that things have changed from the months just after September 11th, 2001. Camp X-Ray is now abandoned and replaced with modern facilities that house state-of-the-art hospitals, classrooms and new cells. Opposition now is not so much focused on the conditions at Guantanamo Bay, but on the legal process that terrorist suspects face. Following US Supreme Court rulings that rejected the White House's claim that detainees are beyond the reach of US and international law, Bush administration officials put in place a military commission system that allows detainees to challenge the charges against them. And part of the the plan -- Pentagon lawyers to represent the detainees. The Bush administration defends the use of military commissions -- saying all those charged were involved in terrorism. The Bush administration says it is working towards shutting down the detention center at Guantanamo, but that may not be easy. "The Geneva Convention says we are allowed to detain enemy combatants through the hostilities and the requirement is that when the hostilities are over you must release or repatriate them. However, in this war, there is no end in sight," said Haben <b>...</b> | Views: 3061   2 ratings |
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Guantanamo Bay Cuba Controversy - VOA Story
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