Attorneys for Guantánamo captives back Obama's bid

[CheshireCat]

Source: Raw Story

More than 80 attorneys who have been offering free-of-charge legal services to Guantánamo detainees issued a statement Monday supporting Democrat Barack Obama's presidential bid.

''We are at a critical point in the presidential campaign, and as lawyers who have been deeply involved in the Guantánamo litigation to preserve the important right to habeas corpus, we are writing to urge you to support Senator Obama,'' the lawyers said in an open letter dated Monday.

....

Guantánamo has not been a major theme of the presidential campaign, but mainstream candidates on both sides -- notably former Vietnam POW John McCain, the Republican senator -- have said they would move to close the prison camps because they have stirred anti-American anger across the globe.

Obama has gone further than many. In a November, he pledged to both close the prison camps and ''restore habeas corpus,'' a position that Democratic rival John Edwards has also staked out.

....

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/campaign08/story/397317.html

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This should be a major issue in the campaign. Obama's position that the prison camps must be closed and habeas corpus restored makes it much easier for me to support him now that Edwards is out of the race.

Chessy

[tabatha]

1. Thanks for this info.

This is extremely significant.

[jasmine621]

3. A huge double edge sword.

I can hear the Republicans now...soft on terror, soft on security, putting our enemies first.
He needs to get out the message of supporting our Constitution. That's how he can fight it.

[balantz]

2. I wonder if this decision influenced John to drop out?

[IndianaGreen]

4. Obama did say that he would restore habeas corpus and close down Guantanamo

How about closing down the School of the Americas? Barak? Hillary?