Letter to the Editor: Americans need a broader lens

By Rachael Krueger

Thursday, April 26, 2007

I was fortunate enough to spend a portion of my career at a law firm that represents several detainees at Guantánamo. A former co-worker, once walked in on the suicide attempt of our client, Jumah Al-Dossari, who was hanging by his neck and bleeding from a gash in his arm. Jumah survived and has since tried to kill himself three times.

Jumah has been at Guantánamo for more than five years. He hasn’t been charged with a crime. He has been short-shackled, threatened with death, beaten and held in indefinite isolation. There is nothinging the current law can do to help him.

Last year, Congress passed the Military Commissions Act, which mandated that the courts dismiss all habeas cases in favor of an alternative process. Lawyers for the detainees challenged the Act as unconstitutional, but in February, a federal appeals court ruled against them on the grounds that they have no rights.

The Supreme Court recently refused to hear Guantánamo appeals until these ineffective alternative procedures are exhausted. This means detainees will have no chance to produce evidence of their innocence that the military didn’t consider, or to challenge the use of evidence obtained through torture.

Action against Guantánamo won’t free terrorists or endanger our country. The objective is to make sure that these men are given fair hearings and if, there is no evidence of wrongdoing, to send them home.

As a member of the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, Representative Nancy Boyda (D-Kan.) could play a key role in a much-needed resolution. Contact her office and ask that she persevere for an amendment to the Military Commissions Act that once again allows detainees fair hearings. Contact as many congressional offices as possible. Without your voices, nothing will change.

These are United States actions for which we all must take responsibility. It sickens me to think that Guantánamo is reflecting our country, but I am strengthened by the fact that it does not reflect our Constitution, or our people.

Rachael Krueger

New York City

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