After 14 long years languishing at Guantánamo without charge or trial, Mohamedou Slahi has finally been cleared for release.
Slahi was born in Mauritania in 1970 and won a scholarship to attend college in Germany. In the early 1990s, he fought with al-Qaeda when it was part of the Afghan anti-communist resistance supported by the U.S. The federal district court judge who reviewed all the evidence in Slahi's habeas corpus case noted that the group then was very different from the one that later came into existence.
Slahi worked in Germany for several years as an engineer and returned to Mauritania in 2000.
Slahi turned himself in to Mauritanian authorities for questioning about the Millennium Plot on November 20, 2001. He was detained for seven days and questioned by Mauritanian officers and by agents of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).[5] The CIA rendered him to a Jordanian prison, where he was held for eight months. Slahi states that he was tortured by the Jordanians. After being flown to Afghanistan and held for two weeks, he was transferred to military custody and the Guantánamo Bay detention camp in Cuba on August 4, 2002.[6]
Slahi was subjected to isolation, temperature extremes, beatings and sexual humiliation at Guantánamo. In one documented incident, he was blindfolded and taken out to sea in a boat for a mock execution.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamedou_Ould_Slahi
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday July 24 2016, @06:51PM
...he is one now.
All you mouthbreathing Trump supporters, you chickenhawks, you posturing weenies, take fucking notice: torture not only does not work, it breeds new enemies. Every time you do this, an entire generation of new terrorists is born. Pay special attention to this, JMo, Uzzard, McGrew, and the few other lunatic nuts on here I've forgotten the names of: this message is for YOU.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 3, Touché) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday July 24 2016, @07:12PM
Whoever the fuck replied to this with" Flamebait: there is a Disagree mod for a reason. Use it. And, preferably, state your opposing case. Only cowards and fools snipe from afar like that.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 5, Insightful) by fnj on Sunday July 24 2016, @07:17PM
WTF?! There was never a more perfect example of flamebait. The loaded language is what marks it as such.
(Score: 3, Informative) by sjames on Sunday July 24 2016, @07:48PM
Sometimes the truth is itself inflammatory.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @04:41AM
Only if you present it like a fuckwit.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @08:17PM
While I agree more with Azuma's stance, and it was fun to see the pro-gitmo users called out, the amount of namecalling is definitely worthy of flamebait. You don't get people to see a new point of view by insulting them, though as humans that is the hardest thing for us to accomplish :)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @10:44PM
You don't get people to see a new point of view by insulting them, though as humans that is the hardest thing for us to accomplish :)
Look at it this way:
[Open scene. 007 is tied to a metal track, and a buzzsaw/laser/plasma torch is advancing toward his crotch.]
007 to Villian: "So, Azuma, I suppose you expect me to see a new point of view?"
Villain to 007: "No, Mr. mouthbreathing remnant of a violent colonialist past, I expect you to STFU!"
[End scene]
Cut! Print! Drinks on me!
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday July 25 2016, @03:46AM
Eeeeexcept this would only work if 007 were the villain here. That is rather the entire point. Think of it more like...well, I don't know any comic books, but imagine Sailor Mercury becoming a ruthless and efficient vigilante, cottoning onto the fact that she's controlling kinetic energy, not water as such, and getting very creative and nasty with the horrors of near-absolute-zero physics as applied to flesh. Anti-hero. Good Is Not Nice as the time-wasting wiki says.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 1, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Monday July 25 2016, @03:21PM
So, I says to myself, "Self, WTF is this Sailor Mercury?" From the images Google offers, she seems to be an anime porn star. Hmmmm . . . knock kneed at that.
“Take me to the Brig. I want to see the “real Marines”. – Major General Chesty Puller, USMC
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday July 25 2016, @04:09PM
Moron. Just because a lot of people draw those poor women in porn doesn't mean that's where they show up. If you're really wondering, imagine "Lilith Fair meets Power Rangers," the home series being "Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon." Mercury is your stereotypical shy, mousy nerd, who happens to have been the planet Mercury's guardian spirit or somesuch and got reincarnated on Earth after the seat of power on the Moon was destroyed some uncountable number of years ago. Watching her fight, she's supposed to be themed around water, as in the Asian system Mercury is associated with that element, but most of her direct offense uses extremely low temperatures; hence, ergokinesis, not so much control over water as such. Her problem is lack of imagination; in her place I'd skip the "500 gallons of supercooled water in your face" approach and just drain the heat out of whatever it is I'm fighting with, then stick my boot through the resulting ice sculpture. A little Mortal Kombat-ish? Sure, but damn effective if you know what LN2 does to organic matter.
Being that the show is for teenagers (NOT kids, I don't know WTF the American localizers were thinking of when they brought it here...) there's a lot of comedy mixed in, but it's pretty damn dark in places and surprisingly full of nightmare fuel. If it didn't overall have an idealistic tone that would make Rousseau roll his eyes--seriously, Sailor Moon defeats not one but TWO end-season villains by basically mind-melding with them and working out their trauma from the inside--it'd be the Japanese version of the Marvel universe. None of the girls save Moon have anything resembling a normal family life, for one thing.
So why Mercury? Simple: that *was* me all those years ago. Pathetically shy, friendless, completely absorbed in studies, obsessive-compulsive about test scores, you name it. I even wanted to be a nurse or doctor at her age too. Thing is...she made friends at a critical point (see: idealism). I didn't. So it's interesting to watch, and see what could have been.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @04:09AM
Well, before you sit any higher on your high horse you should remember that the conservative voices here quite often say similar shit. Since you're AC we can't call you out specifically!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @11:29PM
The overwhelming majority (if not all) of Drumpf's supporters are irrational, so they're not going to see any different point of view no matter how nice you are when you smack them around with facts and logic. I can't even imagine the levels of cognitive dissonance in the heads of people who have convinced themselves that electing a fascist thats campaigning on undermining and subverting the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, and 14th amendments is somehow going to "make America great" or promote freedom. If WWII taught us anything, its that willingly giving up all your freedoms, installing a dictator, and scapegoating minorities is exactly how you don't make a country better.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday July 25 2016, @03:47AM
^ This, this, thiiiiis! I've never been able to put this into words, but AC here nails it. You don't reason with the zombie; you shoot it.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday July 25 2016, @03:25PM
No, not "^ This, this, thiiiiis!"
The majority of voters in BOTH parties are irrational. This election cycle, the conservatives voted for the least irrational offering. Dems tried that, but they were beaten down by the likes of Wasserman-Schultz. The candidates, the parties, the voters, all are equally irrational.
And, you really are getting to be a blood thirsty little girl. Now you're shooting zombies?
“Take me to the Brig. I want to see the “real Marines”. – Major General Chesty Puller, USMC
(Score: 3, Informative) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday July 25 2016, @03:59PM
Fool, I've been "bloodthirsty" since about age 6. Take your patronizing mocking and shove it so far up your sagging, flaccid asshole you gag on it.
And no, both parties are NOT the same. Once more: the Dems have been Republicans for a couple of decades, and the Republicans have been theocratic whackaloons since the late 70s or early 80s. Quit the false equivalencies; no one with three sparking neurons to rub together is fooled by that odious piece of propaganda.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @04:05PM
Except this thread is specifically about Trump supporters. See the very first post in this thread? [soylentnews.org] So your bringing in anybody else's supporters is an obvious red herring, completely unrelated to this discussion.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @06:08PM
THEY DID?!? Um, you do realize that the Republicans have put forward Trump as their standard-bearer this election season, right? Do you really think he is the least irrational offering? The man is, quite literally, the text book definition of irrational. I am sure that future generations will do case studies on his irrational outbursts. In fact, it is hard to find anyone I would consider "rational" amongst the Republican conservatives this election cycle. Seriously. And, before you jump to conclusions, no, I'm not an ultra-liberal socialist commie. In fact, I'm a conservative, evangelical. I was chased out of the Republican party several years back. For the first time in my life I will probably be voting third party.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday July 25 2016, @10:51PM
Well, yes, I do think that Trump is the least irrational of the choices offered. Who does he belong to? Who did all the others belong to? Carson was a wild card, I don't know who he belongs to, but all the rest belong to Wall Street and Corporate America. And, where are Wall Street, Corporate America, and Hillary Clinton all looking for their next war?
Trump is the candidate least likely to start a new war. That seems pretty damned rational to me.
“Take me to the Brig. I want to see the “real Marines”. – Major General Chesty Puller, USMC
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @07:24PM
All you mouthbreathing Trump supporters, you chickenhawks, you posturing weenies, take fucking notice: torture not only does not work, it breeds new enemies. Every time you do this, an entire generation of new terrorists is born. Pay special attention to this, JMo, Uzzard, McGrew, and the few other lunatic nuts on here I've forgotten the names of: this message is for YOU.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @10:26PM
Okay, so tell us, where is the truth supposed to be tagged as Flamebait? A true statement cannot be slanderous or libelous at the same time.
And McGrew, is it true?* Are you a pro Guantanamo nutter? If it is, that would be very disappointing! I hope you wouldn't still claim to be a good Christian while dragging that chain behind you. For shame!
*I swear that wasn't on purpose!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @11:23PM
Nobody is "pro" Guantanamo Bay, you alarmingly stupid nitwit. You created a convenient strawman for you to knock over.
You want to know who's ANTI Guantanamo Bay? President Obama. Why don't you ask him why he didn't release this guy for the last 8 years?
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @11:35PM
Except for [cbsnews.com] Republicans. [bloomberg.com]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @12:25AM
You are wrong. Anybody who votes republican is definitely pro Guantanamo. And most of the democrats don't give a shit, or they would have raised their voices and looked for candidates to elect that would shut it down. It is the ANTI Guantanamo people who are weak and ineffectual, maybe intentionally, and they have accomplished squat so far, accept aiding the recruitment of more terrorists. Of course we all know that's not entirely true. It's the US dollar [mirror.co.uk] that really recruits terrorists. If that ever really dries up, the best they'll ever do is blow up a lunch bag full of dog shit on your front porch, or egg your windows, like any other Halloween night. We don't need to believe the religious bullshit, it a ruse. So hop off that high horse of yours before you fall off.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Monday July 25 2016, @06:11PM
You need Congress to pay for Guantanamo's decommissioning. Guess who controls Congress right now...
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @11:33PM
Some courts beg to differ. [techdirt.com]
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday July 25 2016, @03:51AM
Christians LOVE Gitmo because it's a miniature of what they believe their God will do to anyone he doesn't like (translation: anyone THEY don't like...) for all of eternity.
My wake-up call out of that horrible religion was around age 14 when I realized that Yahweh was literally, no exaggeration, no Godwin, Infinite Hitler, the creator of an infinite, inescapable concentration camp full of fire and fear and pain and horror and misery for what amount to his political prisoners.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 3, Insightful) by kurenai.tsubasa on Sunday July 24 2016, @07:16PM
Yes, but if we don't create terrerists, what will we live in fear of? How would we justify the military industrial complex with billions and billions of dollars of pork? Won't somebody think of the military families out there!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @09:57PM
Yes, but if we don't create terrerists, what will we live in fear of? How would we justify the military industrial complex with billions and billions of dollars of pork? Won't somebody think of the military families out there!
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the American Military-Industrial Complex faced the greatest challenge of its existence: The Search for a Budget-justifying Enemy. Radical extremist Islam was the best they could come up with.
(Score: 3, Informative) by fustakrakich on Sunday July 24 2016, @10:33PM
Won't somebody think of the military families out there!
Yes, Please! [marketplace.org]
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @11:40PM
Its [dailykos.com] worse [usuncut.com] than [militarytimes.com] that. [wonkette.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @03:54AM
However nowadays many wars are to transfer wealth and resources from your own people ;).
(Score: 5, Insightful) by dyingtolive on Sunday July 24 2016, @07:23PM
While I don't disagree with you (I even modded you up) it's also at this point in time noting that Frau Clinton is at least as much of a warhawk as he is.
A friend of mine told a joke the other night to me that was quite amusing:
"Is your refrigerator running?"
"Uh... yes?"
"I'd vote for it."
Vote Stein.
Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday July 24 2016, @09:28PM
Yeah, we're in shit up to our eyeballs. Don't Blame Me, I Voted For Sanders (TM).
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @12:01AM
Sanders was not a serious candidate and he backed the corrupt system. Bernie was a complete fraud, by not standing up to Hilary on her actions in Libya and her misuse of classified material.
Good job!
If you don't like all the H1b visa workers or the TPP there is only one candidate who has stood against it.
Trump
You Bernie bums need to understand how bad voting for Hilary is on trade alone.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/21/donald-trump/donald-trumps-largely-accurate-about-clintons-past/ [politifact.com]
Trump actually cares about America here's a video from 1988 on Oprah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZpMJeynBeg [youtube.com]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @10:53PM
> Frau Clinton is at least as much of a warhawk as he is.
Er, no. Trump wants to tear down stabilizing alliances like NATO and to leave japan and south korea on their own to arm up with nukes.
That's a whole level of war promotion that clinton would never do.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @12:08AM
At least? Look at her track record. She's the biggest war hawk that ran in this election. None of the others compare.
Don't forget that most states have one or two other parties on the ballot. This not a binary choice, no matter how much the two major parties want you to think so. Vote for someone, not against these two chuckleheads.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @05:15AM
> At least? Look at her track record. She's the biggest war hawk that ran in this election. None of the others compare.
The biggest war hawk among the democrats who ran.
She's leading from behind when compared to most of the GOP candidates. [washingtonpost.com]
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @07:27PM
Wait a minute... The Bush's started this crap, Clinton and Obama sat on their thumbs while it got worse, Hellary won't do a f-ing thing except spew a bunch more lies. Trump is the only candidate that will come down hard on these inbred ingrates.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @08:38PM
No one mentioned either candidate....
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @11:42PM
LOL. If you honestly believe that, you should go see your psychiatrist because your delusions have gotten out of hand.
(Score: 2) by Hartree on Sunday July 24 2016, @08:57PM
"you posturing weenies"
Gee... You couldn't possibly be posturing with that post, could you? :)
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday July 24 2016, @09:26PM
No, my thing is pointing it out when other people do. I live by the phrase "give your opponent enough rope to hang himself with." Really, it's like aikido; I just have to wait for whoever it is to build up a head of steam, then use their own momentum against them.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by Bot on Monday July 25 2016, @11:34AM
I stand by my previous comment, I think that those higher up responsible for the torture know.
https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=13135&cid=333189 [soylentnews.org]
The strategy, involving both immigration happy left, fearmongering right, plus religious leaders, is to have religion themed civil war, to what end I am not sure. We will know if/when somebody will do something that would not have been allowed if western societies had not been busy destroying themselves.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by isostatic on Sunday July 24 2016, @06:55PM
Obama will save us - he's promised to shit down Guantanamo as soon as he becomes president.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Sunday July 24 2016, @06:59PM
That was an absolutely priceless typo. Although it's worth noting he hasn't fulfilled that promise either!
"Think of how stupid the average person is. Then realize half of 'em are stupider than that." - George Carlin
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @07:33PM
I don't care if he had a ton of opposition, closing gitmo was of importance to national security. Show the world we can admit our mistake, and give our soldiers and citizens pride again in being a part of the United States of America. As it stands now, we are looked down upon by the people of the world who have a clue. Perhaps it is the fate of any who gain too much power, simply too many arms and heads to keep track of, too many situations to control or fix... I don't care, doing the right thing is hard and takes courage. For all the bravado and claims of freedom ringing we should be doing better. I also don't care that some other world powers may be worse in many regards, that is just apologetic groveling.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday July 25 2016, @12:03PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 3, Informative) by snick on Monday July 25 2016, @02:22PM
Unless you are wishing that Obama had disbanded Congress and declared himself dictator, you are barking up the wrong tree.
Congress blocked every move he made to close Guantanamo. But yeah, lets blame the president for the actions of Congress.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday July 26 2016, @01:01AM
Obama spent 7.5 years trying to preserve goodwill of his opponents to get stuff from them despite systematic unflinching opposition.
He didn't get Gitmo, but he go Iran, Cuba, Obamacare, tax raises, gay acceptance... He could have used the bully pulpit to get Gitmo (call them cowards every day for thinking a SuperMax can't hold a sheep herder), but what would we have lost in exchange which might potentially leave us worse off?
His opponents went on a crazy binge of hate denial and anger to neuter him, and he's danced around them enough times that they've now lost control of their own monster.
(Score: 2, Disagree) by fnj on Sunday July 24 2016, @07:12PM
What a load of bullshit. The Soviet war in Afghanistan spanned December 1979 to February 1989. The 1990 Afghan constitution established an Islamic state. There was some degree of nominal communism left until it was overthrown in 1992, but the focus in Afghanistan shifted from communism to Islamism in 1990.
Yes, the US supported the Majahideen - DURING THE SOVIET WAR - as part of a spectacularly successful strategy that overthrew Soviet communist hegemony. Al Qaeda was not formed until 1988 pro forma, and did not become berserk radical until the Gulf War, nominally August 1990 - January 1991, but only coming to a head when the shooting started, 17 January
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @07:35PM
No agenda - was just trying to make sure the submission queue wouldn't run dry.
I thought that this part gave credibility to the claim, but I'm aware that the ACLU isn't an unbiased source:
The federal district court judge who reviewed all the evidence in Slahi's habeas corpus case noted that the group then was very different from the one that later came into existence.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @07:57PM
Yes, the US supported the Majahideen - DURING THE SOVIET WAR - as part of a spectacularly successful strategy
Spectacularly? Check.
Successful? Hm.
When will we finally get over the enemy-of-my-enemy-logic?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by fritsd on Sunday July 24 2016, @09:29PM
But... but... I saw the documentary! Rambo III [wikipedia.org]!
PS: Youngsters: observe.
1984 Donald Rumsfeld, under Ronald Reagan's administration, sells weapons of mass destruction to Saddam Hussein [wikipedia.org]
1988 the film about the hero Rambo and his brave Afghani Mujahideen against the Evil Soviet Russians
You couldn't make this shit up.
It does immunize a bit against the post-2001 "Iraq = Al Qaida" propaganda to be, well, older.
(Score: 2, Informative) by fustakrakich on Sunday July 24 2016, @10:43PM
How did Iraq get mixed up in this, again?
Let's set the time machine back a little further, shall we? [counterpunch.org]. Soften the target up, and then Reagan gets credit for "defeating" the Soviet Union. Really, Ted Turner's bootleg satellite dishes in the mid 80s did more than Reagan.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by fritsd on Monday July 25 2016, @09:39AM
That was a fascinating article, thanks!
Zbigniew "Realpolitik" Brzezinski [wikipedia.org]:
Paraphrased by me: "Haha! With our CIA operation, we tricked the stupid Soviets into spending resources on bloodshed and oppression in Afghanistan! This will weaken our enemies the Soviets!"
Not a very nice man, is he? Didn't care much about the fate of the innocent Afghani pawns.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday July 24 2016, @09:30PM
At about the time we collapse as a nation, I suspect. Seems like bad ideas reincarnate over and over in the minds of a certain kind of warmonger.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Monday July 25 2016, @04:26PM
It was successful. The problem was that congress cut the funding as soon as the USSR withdrew from Afghanistan. They'd provided all of the military aid in secret, so even though the USA was pouring $500m/year into the country by the end of the conflict, it looked to the Afghan people as if the USA was leaving them to the Russians. If they'd cut funding to a tenth of its previous rate and used that $50m/year to build roads and schools and improve agriculture, Afghanistan would have been a massively pro-USA country by the end of the '90s.
Though, given that the attempt to do this in Iraq mostly managed to funnel tax dollars into some very shady corporations' pockets, it's not completely clear that the USA had the ability to do it properly.
sudo mod me up
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 24 2016, @11:48PM
Jefferson Davis spent only two years in prison, and he was President of the Confederate States in armed rebellion against the Union.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @12:46AM
Only two years for actual treason and sedition? Meanwhile our rogue government is trampling human rights and destroying any international goodwill it may have built up over the years. People are being told to avoid traveling to the US these days because we torture and murder innocent people and nobody bats an eye.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @03:57AM
Slahi turned himself in to Mauritanian authorities for questioning
He must be a dangerous terrorist if he quietly turned himself in instead of making a run for it.
Dangerous enough to keep locked up for 14 years. But now that he's free, are you all shaking in fear now?