Opinion: Gitmo undermines US moral authority

April 15, 2009
By James Anderson
Guest Columnist

Currently, two American journalists are being detained in North Korea.  Laura Ling and Euna Lee who work for Al Gore’s Current TV were arrested on March 17 for illegally crossing the border from China while reporting on local refugees who had fled their homes.   

Concurrently, the U.S. run Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp remains open.  Why is this relevant?  Well, reportedly, when North Korean officials were asked about how the two Americans were being treated, they laughed, and said, “We are not Guantanamo”.

When a nation known for harsh dictatorial rule and gross human rights abuses is poking fun at elements of our justice system, it is time for a change.  Fortunately, President Obama has taken a firm stance against the use of torture which reportedly occurred at places like Gitmo.  Granted, we were told by the previous administration that our country does not torture, but their warped definition of torture did not include prolonged standing, sleep deprivation, exposure to extreme heat and cold, belly slaps, and everyone’s favorite “enhanced inter rogation technique”, waterboarding (which involves strapping a person down and pouring water over their face to simulate drowning).  Orwellian euphemisms aside, these methods of “enhanced “interrogation” helped foster anti-American sentiment and hurt our international standing.

While the current administration has made clear their intent to close Guantanamo, some indelible damage has already been done.  This incident involving American journalists being detained at North Korea is just one example that reminds us why concessions of civil liberties and disregard for the rule of law are not acceptable, whether we are at war or not.  Laura Ling and Euna Lee are now set to be tried for perpetrating “hostile acts”.  Seemingly, these are completely inappropriate and unjust charges.  But again, we are reminded of the fact that the U.S. ignored certain aspects of our own constitution by suspending habeas corpus and indefinitely detaining those we deemed “enemy combatants”. 

It is sad that it takes a situation like this, where the fate of two Americans reporters are in peril for us to recognize the importance of adhering to our core values and underlying principles, even during tumultuous times.  We can not hold other nations to a set of standards that we only abide by when it is convenient.  If diplomacy prevails, the charges against Ling and Lee will be dropped or excused, and they will be allowed to return home.  While the majority of us have no control over those international negotiations, we do have the power to pressure our leaders and representatives to decry the use of all illegal and inhumane practices that breed contempt and challenge our moral precepts.  So let us close Guantanamo Bay, provide detainees with fair and speedy trials, never authorize torture, ban warrantless wiretapping, and make America a champion of human rights so that we can set an example for the rest of the world.