Comments on: Innocent US Citizen Held 54 Days In Iraq http://www.libertynow.com/2005/07/12/innocent-us-citizen-held-54-days-in-iraq/ Liberty, Freedom, and Capitalism Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:08:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Sriram http://www.libertynow.com/2005/07/12/innocent-us-citizen-held-54-days-in-iraq/#comment-33 Fri, 26 Aug 2005 22:20:02 +0000 http://www.libertynow.com/2005/07/12/innocent-us-citizen-held-54-days-in-iraq/#comment-33 People who vaunt the legal systems in western countries forget the fact that these legal protections end the minute these countries set foot elsewhere.This has been the case always in history and is no different now. The French had their renaissance and the concepts of equality sewn in the fabric of their soceity, at the same time they were commiting the greatest atrocities in the colonies.The restrictions which are placed by the judiciary system are very easily bypassed overseas as there is no one monitor the activities of the US military and civilians.When punishment and eventually lawsuits are taken out of the equation , this is bound to happend. Its good that Cyrus got out in 2 months, it could have been a lot worse if he was incarcerated in Abu Gharaib. People who vaunt the legal systems in western countries forget the fact that these legal protections end the minute these countries set foot elsewhere.This has been the case always in history and is no different now. The French had their renaissance and the concepts of equality sewn in the fabric of their soceity, at the same time they were commiting the greatest atrocities in the colonies.The restrictions which are placed by the judiciary system are very easily bypassed overseas as there is no one monitor the activities of the US military and civilians.When punishment and eventually lawsuits are taken out of the equation , this is bound to happend. Its good that Cyrus got out in 2 months, it could have been a lot worse if he was incarcerated in Abu Gharaib.

]]> by: stopthenwo http://www.libertynow.com/2005/07/12/innocent-us-citizen-held-54-days-in-iraq/#comment-21 Fri, 22 Jul 2005 14:25:03 +0000 http://www.libertynow.com/2005/07/12/innocent-us-citizen-held-54-days-in-iraq/#comment-21 We tend to take our form of law for granted, in Europe and the middle east Napoleanic Law applies where you are indeed guilty until proven innocent. (Simplified) There is no excuse for this man to have been held that long and it smells of a setup. They do not want uncontrolled journalist and videographers in Iraq. The problem with all this is the Napoleanic assumption of guilt is coming home, more an more often police and the court system practice this on US citizens and the press is more than happy to follow. We tend to take our form of law for granted, in Europe and the middle east Napoleanic Law applies where you are indeed guilty until proven innocent. (Simplified) There is no excuse for this man to have been held that long and it smells of a setup. They do not want uncontrolled journalist and videographers in Iraq. The problem with all this is the Napoleanic assumption of guilt is coming home, more an more often police and the court system practice this on US citizens and the press is more than happy to follow.

]]> by: Danny http://www.libertynow.com/2005/07/12/innocent-us-citizen-held-54-days-in-iraq/#comment-19 Wed, 20 Jul 2005 04:40:35 +0000 http://www.libertynow.com/2005/07/12/innocent-us-citizen-held-54-days-in-iraq/#comment-19 Of course, you're absolutely right. Innocence should never have to be proven, and no one should ever be held without solid evidence. In reality, whether we like it or not, if US soldiers find a taxi with 35 timers in the trunk, they're putting everyone they found in that cab in a cell until they sort things out. I don't particularly agree with that, but most people aren't going to have a problem with it. My point was to try to get people to realize how broken our system has to be to let almost two months go by without "sorting things out". When a US citizen is sitting in a cell in Iraq for this long with no evidence at all that he committed a crime, inefficient isn't even the word for it. How can this government even pretend that it can stay ahead of (what I imagine to be) small, nimble organizations like terrorist cells, when the bureaucracy is so thick that it takes months to process and release clearly innocent people? Of course, you’re absolutely right. Innocence should never have to be proven, and no one should ever be held without solid evidence.

In reality, whether we like it or not, if US soldiers find a taxi with 35 timers in the trunk, they’re putting everyone they found in that cab in a cell until they sort things out. I don’t particularly agree with that, but most people aren’t going to have a problem with it.

My point was to try to get people to realize how broken our system has to be to let almost two months go by without “sorting things out”. When a US citizen is sitting in a cell in Iraq for this long with no evidence at all that he committed a crime, inefficient isn’t even the word for it.

How can this government even pretend that it can stay ahead of (what I imagine to be) small, nimble organizations like terrorist cells, when the bureaucracy is so thick that it takes months to process and release clearly innocent people?

]]> by: Aaron Singleton http://www.libertynow.com/2005/07/12/innocent-us-citizen-held-54-days-in-iraq/#comment-18 Sun, 17 Jul 2005 06:34:00 +0000 http://www.libertynow.com/2005/07/12/innocent-us-citizen-held-54-days-in-iraq/#comment-18 Bureaucracy is definitely a problem. The thing I disagree with is where you said that "there is simply no excuse for holding a person for one minute after his innocence has been proven." I thought a man was innocent until proven guilty. Unless there is hard evidence against someone, they shouldn't be held at all, even for a minute. No one should have to prove their innocence before being released from prison. If they can't be proven guilty, they shouldn't be there in the first place. Perhaps there were other reasons for holding the filmakers for so long, like making sure they weren't in possession of any undesirable footage that could make its way into the media and do further damage to public opinion about the war. Bureaucracy is definitely a problem. The thing I disagree with is where you said that “there is simply no excuse for holding a person for one minute after his innocence has been proven.” I thought a man was innocent until proven guilty. Unless there is hard evidence against someone, they shouldn’t be held at all, even for a minute. No one should have to prove their innocence before being released from prison. If they can’t be proven guilty, they shouldn’t be there in the first place. Perhaps there were other reasons for holding the filmakers for so long, like making sure they weren’t in possession of any undesirable footage that could make its way into the media and do further damage to public opinion about the war.

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