The military trials of six Al Qaida suspects detained at the infamous Guantanamo Bay detention centre for their alleged role in the 9/11 acts of terrorism in the US was the topic of discussion this week. It was closely followed by the apology tendered by Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to the aborigines for past atrocities, especially for the "stolen children". The killing of a top Hezbollah leader Emad Mughniyeh also made it to the headlines. These events were contemplated, analysed and commented on. We present here excerpts of editorials from the regional and the international press.
Trial of Guantanamo detainees
The manner of the trial to prosecute Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and five others who allegedly participated in the plot, has been criticised by most commentators and human rights activists. It has also run into a controversy since it was found that some of the confessions were obtained after torturing the suspects. "Waterboarding" was one of the techniques used on the suspects.
Commenting on the trial, Arab News termed it as "flawed".
"This is a flawed trial in a flawed detention process driven by a deeply flawed US administration that persists in folly, even when it is against its own best interests," it remarked. It suggested that the suspects should be brought to trial within the US mainland judicial process, "not in some hole-in-the-corner military tribunal at an offshore base".
It added: "They should have always enjoyed the rights of all accused, protected from torture and if they were indeed found guilty of the monstrous crimes of which they are accused, duly punished. Instead, they have been detained for up to six years in degrading conditions and some, including the alleged 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, have allegedly confessed after being exposed to torture, including the loathsome and illegal technique known as 'waterboarding'."
Washington Post too said that the fairness should be indisputable, but lamented that's not likely under the current military commission system.
"Although lawyers for detainees may view some classified information, they are prohibited from discussing that evidence with their clients, who thus may not be able to rebut the information or impugn the motives of the source. The fact that the government is seeking the death penalty for all six defendants argues for greater legal safeguards; the loopholes in the law mean the legitimacy of any death sentences could be rejected by the rest of the world.
The International Herald Tribune said that the trial would damage America's image
"Trying these men this way is sure to raise international hackles. Injecting the death penalty, which is unpopular internationally in the best of circumstances, will only increase the bad feeling," it stated.
Hezbollah leader killed
A top Hezbollah leader, Emad Mughniyeh, wanted by the US and Israel for a number of high profile "terrorist" operations, was killed in a car bomb in the Syrian capital of Damascus. His death is likely to be a major setback for Hezbollah and a big victory for its enemies.
Lebanon's The Daily Star commented: "In the wake of his death, Emad Mughniyeh has been described as both a dangerous villain and a courageous hero. The task of reconciling these diametrically opposed assessments will be left to a future generation of historians who no longer have to contend with the politicising influences of the Arab-Israeli conflict."
Apology for stolen children
In Australia, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd finally acknowledged the wrong done to the Aborigines by apologising to the members of the "stolen generation". He said sorry for the wrong done to the Aborigines by forcibly taking away Aborigines children from their parents in an attempt to "civilise" them.
Commenting on the issue, Sydney Morning Herald commented: "It was a nationwide emotional release - a collective sigh of relief that this long-awaited moment had finally come. For members of the stolen generations it will have a particular personal significance, but for other onlookers the apology may have a broader meaning: it appears to be a gesture of atonement for the full disastrous history of indigenous relations since 1788."
It added: "His [the prime minister's] practical action takes the form of, for a start, proper preschool education for all indigenous children. It is an apt choice, given that the whole Sorry debate springs from the consequences of an earlier, ill-starred attempt to protect the youngest members of Aboriginal society in an attempt to rebuild that society."
