The United States may hold 50 or more trials of detainees being held at the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Attorney General Eric Holder told lawmakers Wednesday. US Attorney General Eric Holder detailed the plan before the Senate Judiciary Committee, as the Obama administration pushes to meet a year-end deadline to close the controversial prison.
| Meet the new boss, same as the old boss ... |
Under the plan, about 56 inmates would face trial by US authorities, while a separate group of detainees would be transferred abroad. A third group would not be released or face trial, Holder said officials were working on how to handle these inmates, including possibly crafting new legislation to hold them.
| Gee, this sounds so-o-o-o-o familiar ... |
Senate Republicans had mixed remarks of Holders plans, with one republican, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, at the hearing criticizing Holder as "too soft" on terrorism after releasing several of the Bush administration memos authorizing harsh interrogation techniques, and another, Senator Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, backing the proposed plan to bring about 25 percent of the current 229 inmates to a civilian or military trial.
Graham told Holder "I think you're on the right track," endorsing an independent trial to review and validate military and intelligence information used to as the basis of holding the detainees. |