The letter below was posted as dated. I received a “standard reply” on a postcard, as did, undoubtedly, countless others correspondents.
Ambassador William Farish, 93c Venner Road,
US Embassy, Sydenham,
24 Grosvenor Square, London SE26 5HU.
London W1A 1AE. 020 8659 7713
E-Mail A_Baron@ABaron.Demon.Co.UK
July 23, 2003
Dear Sir,
I am writing to express my opinion - for what it is worth - about
the Guantanamo Bay detainees. Unlike most observers I can see no
objection to these men being tried by the United States, but they
should be tried properly under US law and not by some quasi-
totalitarian military kangaroo court as widely mooted in the media
here. If there is evidence that any of them have committed crimes
against US citizens, either in the United States or elsewhere,
they should be arraigned before a grand jury.
The atrocities of September 11 were the most heinous crimes ever
perpetrated outside of war-time, and for this reason if for no
other it is important that any of them indicted in this connection
should receive the best defence money can buy, and that any
convictions should be subject to the proper process of appeal all
the way up to the United States Supreme Court.
Regarding the sentencing of any of those convicted, I am in
general opposed to the death penalty, and in this case even more
so. It is common knowledge that Mohamed Atta and his fellow
murderers regarded themselves as martyrs. The execution of any co-
conspirators or fellow travellers will succeed only in making them
martyrs, and will almost certainly create more martyrs for their
murder machine in turn.
Because of the complexities of the situation following the
invasion of Afghanistan there has inevitably been considerable
delay in filing charges, but this delay has now been excessive;
any detainees against whom a prima facie case cannot be made out
should be released forthwith, and any who can be shown to be
totally innocent should be compensated and returned to their home
countries.
In his "farewell speech" Al Gore said that the War On Terror had
been mishandled to such an extent that the enormous groundswell of
goodwill that had been created for the United States by September
11 had been squandered, and that people were now more concerned by
what "we" are doing than by what the terrorists are doing. If the
United States does not conduct these forthcoming trials properly
it runs the risk of alienating even its staunchest friends and
allies.
Yours sincerely,
A Baron
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