| The U.S. military tribunals set up to determine | | | | signed. |
| whether suspected al-Qaida and Taleban fighters held | | | | Instead, the men have been referred to as enemy |
| at a military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba are | | | | combatants. Mr. England says their detention is legally |
| indeed enemy combatants has completed its review | | | | justified because of the threat they still pose. |
| of all detainees. The tribunals found that most, | | | | "The basis of detaining captured enemy combatants |
| though not all, of the detainees should still be | | | | is not to punish, but rather to prevent them from |
| classified as enemy combatants. And 33 of the | | | | continuing to fight against the United States and its |
| remaining non-enemy combatants will be released | | | | coalition partners in the ongoing global war on |
| soon. | | | | terrorism," he added. "Detention of captured enemy |
| Navy Secretary Gordon England, the Pentagon official | | | | combatants is both allowed and accepted under |
| overseeing the combatant status review tribunals | | | | international law of armed conflict." |
| (CSRTs), said Tuesday that all 558 men in U.S. | | | | The tribunals have been accused of relying on |
| custody at Guantanamo Bay have had their cases | | | | non-credible witnesses or one-source of information |
| heard before the three-member tribunals. | | | | to uphold a detainee's enemy combatant status. Mr. |
| "Of the five 558 CSRT hearings conducted, the | | | | England said the three-member tribunals only review |
| enemy combatant status of 520 was confirmed," he | | | | information they consider reliable and that they look |
| said. "The tribunals also concluded that 38 detainees | | | | at the totality of that information. But he |
| were found to no longer meet the criteria to be | | | | acknowledged that the judges are human and no |
| designated as enemy combatants." | | | | system was perfect. |
| Mr. England said that as of March 29, five of those | | | | "At the end of the day there is a judgment," he |
| 38 persons have returned to their home countries | | | | noted. "In this case we have three people. We have |
| and that the U.S. State Department is working to | | | | three members of the tribunal and they make the |
| coordinate the return of the remaining 33 as quickly | | | | very best decision they can based on the data |
| as possible. | | | | available. Is the system perfect? It's [made up of] |
| Most of the detainees were captured on the | | | | human beings so obviously it's not perfect, but it is as |
| battlefield in Afghanistan and are suspected of | | | | perfect as we can make this system and as fair as |
| supporting al-Qaida or the Taleban. The Bush | | | | we can make this system for the detainee, while |
| Administration has refused to call them prisoners of | | | | protecting America. Keep in mind that we do have |
| war, as this would afford them certain rights under | | | | obligation to protect America from terrorists. |
| the Geneva Convention, which the United States has | | | | |