Blair Tells Bush*: We Don't Want Guantanamo Britons

[kskiska]

The Government has told America that it does not want the Britons held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to be returned for trial in Britain.

Whitehall officials say that the message that Britain does not want its nine detainees returned was conveyed privately to President George W. Bush during the recent visit to Washington by Tony Blair.

The decision comes after advice from government lawyers that it would be very hard to mount a successful prosecution in Britain because of the difficulty in obtaining evidence that is admissible in court. There are also fears that any public trial in Britain would force the disclosure of intelligence operations against al-Qa'eda in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

The Government is also concerned that the collapse of a prosecution in Britain would anger the public and be politically damaging.

more…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/08/03/nguan03.xml&sSheet=/portal/2003/08/03/ixportaltop.html

[short bus president]

1. Are they not in the least concerned

that 99.9999% of Britons are staunchly opposed to their fellow citizens being tried in one of *'s Kaptain Kangaroo Kourts?

[izzie]

2. So much for your gov. sticking up for you.

Frankly I dont think any did much but fight for the army or group they believed in and to bad if you are on the side that does not win. Half I do not think are blowing up anyone.I just do not believe my gov. any more. Not even a little.

[Ouabache]

3. Nine Dead Men Soon

Looks like. Bush is probably gleeful he gets to decide what to do with them now. Any reports on how many detainees down there have been given a death sentence and executed? Oh, that's right, they are obligated to release no details such as that.

[NNN0LHI]

4. This story is misinformation. Blair wanted them back

Bush told Blair in no uncertain terms that he wasn't getting them back. And that was the end of that conversation. This is just tough talk to cover for how Blair was made a fool by a Chimp and has to take it. Starting to look more and more that Blair may be being blackmailed? The British had beter dump this chump and get an untainted replacement for their leader as soon as possible. If there is such a thing?

Don

[Voltaire99]

5. Ever more the poodle

Agreed.

And he polls are rather telling--the Tories are steadily climbing back out of their sewer of neglect. Labour can't afford Blair any more than America (and the world) can afford Bush.

[DBoon]

6. My paranoid opinion

Is that the current US administration is deliberately jerking Tony Blair around for the express purpose of destroying the Labour Party entirely.

I would also suspect that US intelligence has some deeply emabrassing or compromising info about Tony that they use to keep him in line (AKA "blackmail").

Paranoid enough?

[jamesinca]

7. Paranoid enough

How else do you explain Tony coming back again and again for more abuse. Is his political carrer that important? Would he make a lot of points with the public if he came clean, or has he been promised a nice job with Carlyle Europe when he gets booted from office. Lets see, keeping his name, reputation and current carrer in tact or having a well paid BS job with Carlyle? You pick. I bet he is going with the Carlyle group. Expose this for the BS that it is, let the world devour the Bush administration. He can only do that if he goes first with the confession.

[Emillereid]

8. I read some where about Bush's people having a meeting with Tony

shortly after Bush assumed office -- Tony had supported Gore and the intent of the meeting was to set him straight about who was in charge now. Anybody else read about such a meeting -- the implication of the story was they indeed did have something on Blair.

Re: the Guantanomo Brits -- this line is telling : "The decision comes after advice from government lawyers that it would be very hard to mount a successful prosecution in Britain because of the difficulty in obtaining evidence that is admissible in court." Translated: they don't have a case that can stand up to normal legal standards and it would be embarassing to Bush/Blair that the so-called 'illegal combatants' held like animals in Guantanamo Bay are probably basically innocent of anything more than either defending their country or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They are guilty simply because they have been accused of being a 'terrorist.' Legal proceedings and the demand for evidence would just expose the whole damn farce. It's bloodletting and revenge on the part of the morally obtuse fascist Bushits.