In a filing today with the federal District Court for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice submitted a new standard for the government's authority to hold detainees at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility. The definition does not rely on the President's authority as Commander-in-Chief independent of Congress's specific authorization. It draws on the international laws of war to inform the statutory authority conferred by Congress. It provides that individuals who supported al Qaeda or the Taliban are detainable only if the support was substantial. And it does not employ the phrase "enemy combatant."
You read that right. They are only detainable if their support of the Taliban or Al Queda was substantial. What the hell does that mean? What is substantial support?
Of course the Attorney General, Eric Holder, says this makes our country stronger. Really? It sure don't make me feel any safer. But safety isn't important is it? Only our standing from a public relations standpoint counts or matters. This administration keeps chasing after this drug induced, 60's hippies, magical unicorn belief that if we just play nice everybody will love us.
Notice they also talk of meeting some sort of international standard.
The government's new standard relies on the international laws of war to inform the scope of the president's authority under this statute, and makes clear that the government does not claim authority to hold persons based on insignificant or insubstantial support of al Qaeda or the Taliban.
Pray very hard that this administrations misguided and non reality based line of thinking does not come back to hurt us, but I don't see anyway that can be avoided. The Islamic radicals will exploit any weakness, perceived or real to strike hard. If I was them all I see coming out of this administration is weakness.
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