4 Legs Good, Two Legs Better: Obama to Revive Military Tribunals

Fine, lets see how this trial balloon pans out.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is set to revive the system of military commissions for prosecuting Guantanamo detainees, but with better legal protections for the accused, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.

The new rules would block the use of evidence obtained from coercive interrogations, the Post said, quoting unnamed U.S. government officials.

The proposed rules would also tighten the admissibility of hearsay testimony, and allow detainees at the camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- which Obama plans to close -- greater freedom to choose their attorneys, the paper said.

But it quoted a White House official as saying that no final decision had been made. One source told the paper the plan awaits Obama's approval.

Allegedly the trials won't be held in Gitmo, which has zero to do with reality and everything to do with public relations. Anyway its not a surprise considering the options:

• Send them to their Home countries.
• Send them to Europe.
• Send them to American Prisons.
• Keep them in Gitmo.

Each option provides rewards and pitfalls, for example sending to them their home countries is problematic to say the least. On the one hand they might go right back to the battlefield, on the other extreme their home countries may kill them outright. Europe, despite "Obama" love has been reluctant to provide tangible assistance to the President. Sending them to American prisons is an option, but once again the NIMBY syndrome and the fear of terror attacks make this unpalatable to many. This leaves us with the last option of keeping Gitmo open to hold trials, those found guilty face punishment and those cleared could be released. (Where they would do prison sentences is another issue, of course the death penalty could be carried out in Gitmo) I fully expect some combination of all these options to be the final outcome. Reality is hard, no matter what the left and Obama pretend. Anyway it looks like Obama has other priorities right now.