preview

Military Commissions Act of 2006 How Should Detainees Be Treated?

Best Essays

Guantanamo Bay in Cuba houses some of the most dangerous people. The people being held have ranged in committing various crimes. What makes Guantanamo Bay well known is how the time period a detainee has spent in prison without a trial. While in prison for an extensive period of time, a detainee is bound to receive discipline for not following the guards. There are often a variety of different methods that the guards use to teach discipline to the detainees. All who follow Guantanamo Bay as institution often criticizes the measures taken. What makes Guantanamo Bay an ironic place to start this journey is because Guantanamo Bay is at the center of attention to a very important, controversial law passed in 2006. The controversial law was …show more content…

By passing the Military Commissions Act of 2006, the person in control of all decisions would be the President. “ They also gave the president absolute power to designate enemy combatants, and to set his own definitions for torture” (Military Commissions). If someone were to identify the players who were deemed responsible for this act to pass, that someone would most likely identify President Bush and Congress. These central figures wanted to take the extra step in keeping the United States protected from any additional acts of terrorism. With what is stated in the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and those who stressed for the passage of the act, mixed messages are sent. President Bush, at the time, believed in less harm and more protection for the United States due to the extenuating circumstances. By creating a law that gives the President absolute authority and leaving no room for improvement, how was the United States going to look like? What it going to be looked at as a weak country with no control of power? The other player involved, Congress, was weak on its part. By allowing this act to pass with authority give to the President, this law was interpreted as unconstitutional and violated the rights of the judicial branch and ultimately the supreme law of the land, The Constitution. How the judicial branch got involved in this matter was based upon its given rights of

Get Access