Now that the Inaugural Party is over...

...our new president signed an executive order to close Guantanamo Bay within a year.

Despite the rhetoric in his speech, that "...we are at war..." President Obama is certainly not acting like he's waging war against a merciless foe.

Never before in the annuls of military history have combatants been given access to their enemy's judicial system.

Just over half the voting population in the US doesn't believe we are at war, or that this was all instigated the reviled Bush Administration. What these folks don't understand is that our enemies fervently believe they are at war with us. Treating terrorists bent on destroying our way of life like a law enforcement matter has, and will continue to hamstring our war effort.

In wartime, enemy soldiers rounded up on the battlefield are held until hostilities cease. The Gitmo Detainees aren't even afforded the title POWs (Prisoners of War).

Why? Because while on the battlefield, these detainees violated nearly every Geneva Convention Protocol.

In order to be considered a lawful combatant (a soldier), one has to:

1. Be answerable to a responsible authority--none of the Gitmo detainees are part of their respective nation's military.

2. Wear identifiable rank and insignia--they deliberately blend in with the civilian population, not to mention using their civilians as human shields. (Hamas & Hezbollah use the same tactic).

3. Bear their weapons openly--see #2.

So according to the Geneva convention, these detainees are considered unlawful combatants. That means they are ineligible for protection under the Geneva Convention.

In other words, we could lock these guys up and throw away the key.

As for the supposedly inhuman conditions the detainees live under:

They're served halal meals. That is, food deemed good for Muslims to eat. In fact the food is so good, our soldiers guarding the inmates eat it rather than the usual Army chow. Gitmo is also the first "Gulag" where inmates actually gain weight--about 12 to 14 pounds on average.

As to the supposed abuse, I often called Gitmo the "Monkey House" because the inmates often throw feces and urine at our guards.

So much for the "...we are at war..." Inaugural Rhetoric.

From Yahoo News:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obama_guantanamo