For a chilling read, check out this article in the New York Times -- Former U.S. Detainee in Iraq Recalls Torment
It was fine and dandy when we played fast and loose with the Rule of Law when it came to the bad guys. Hey, they were the enemy, right? History shows that once rights are eroded, even law abiding citizens are at risk for arbitary confinement and denial of due process. Just in case you missed it -- these guys are American citizens. One of them was a whistleblower. Gee, I bet he's thrilled he did the honorable thing.
They're even so bold as to document that they will be denying detainees the right to representation.
"Nathan Ertel, the American held with Mr. Vance, brought away military records that shed further light on the detention camp and its secretive tribunals. Those records include a legal memorandum explicitly denying detainees the right to a lawyer at detention hearings to determine whether they should be released or held indefinitely, perhaps for prosecution."
No phone calls, no contact with the outside world. You may get to see the evidence against you. Or not. This is egregious, a direct violation of our Constitutional rights (Amendments V & VI.)
Welcome to the new America where the Executive Branch has rendered the checks and balances of our brilliant founding fathers irrelevant. If you're not worried, you're not paying attention. And you could be next.
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