Correspondent Lucas Waagmeester: “Of the nearly 800 detainees held on the peak in Guantanamo Bay, it has become clear that many of them have never had anything to do with Al Qaeda or terrorism. They were held on vague suspicions, without ever having a decent charge or trial against them.”
That is why, according to Waagmeester, many people have ultimately been released over the years, or routes have been devised to have them tried in other countries. Why is Guantanamo Bay still not closed? “There are two important reasons for this,” says Waagmeester. “The first reason is that there are officially still a number of lawsuits pending against people who are still in detention. But they are progressing very slowly, because there is a lack of evidence, because evidence has been obtained through torture techniques, or because there are negotiations with countries of origin that have the lawsuits should take over.”
The second reason has to do with politics. “While the realization here in Washington has long been made that Guantánamo was a bad idea, clear recognition of it is still difficult for both parties. Because among the Republicans, Guantánamo was conceived and opened, so it is difficult for them to say that it has been a mistake. And it is difficult for Democrats because they are afraid of being accused of soft policy towards terrorists. So politically it is not yet possible to recognize the mistake and draw consequences from it.”
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