Sir Menzies Campbell to visit Guantanamo

Sir Menzies Campbell plans to become the first British politician to visit Guantanamo Bay, as part of an attempt to relaunch his leadership of the Liberal Democrats.

The Observer has learnt that Campbell's office is looking into the logistics of a trip to the US detention centre in Cuba. Washington has said it is open to allowing visitors, but in the past it has placed restrictions on the degree of access permitted. Campbell has been an outspoken opponent of Guantanamo since his pre-leadership days as the party's foreign affairs spokesman. He criticised Tony Blair for limiting himself to describing the detention centre as 'an anomaly', rather than calling for its closure. A Lib Dem MP said yesterday that such a visit would have a major symbolic effect. 'It would play to Ming's strengths, and to the party's strengths as well,' he said.

politics.guardian.co.uk...

Interesting to see what comes of this and what he has to say.

Ming looks so old you have to ask whether or not he will live to see it?
And even if he did I bet Rupert Murdoch's press will have built up enough political ammunition to run a (Sun, Times, Daily Star, News of the World, Sky News or certainly Fox News) headline reading "put him in there".
It kind of reminds me of the whole African thing with Blair and his multi millionaire friend Guildoff pledging to "help Africa" without ether of them mentioning that Britons biggest national export (in cash terms) belongs to its arms industries.

Because with Ming just being another power grabbing politician (trust me he is if you look at his role in the Kennedy affair) then I bet if he was running the country (something the Lib Dems are prevented from doing) then I bet he would let Guantanamo run in exactly the same way. He would have to otherwise the various media leaders would never support his bid to run the country.

But thanks Yossarian for the bit of news. I guess it’s another little bit of under reported news? Certainly I hadn’t heard anything till you told me.

Have to agree with you there Liberal.

Yeah, under-reported news. Thank God for ATS eh?

I hope he goes ahead.

It will be nice to a have a front bench british MP take a stand against something which is so obviously ethically and legally wrong. Maybe he can show the world that we are not all under the thumb and willing to turn a blind eye for the advancement of our country and simultaneous destruction of our morals.

Sir Menzies Campbell plans to become the first British politician to visit Guantanamo Bay, as part of an attempt to relaunch his leadership of the Liberal Democrats.

WoW first I have heard of this, Makes me wonder why the News channels have not picked up on this. Will the U.S. gov give him permission to visit anyways?

I do not see permission comming shortly from the US Gov...

Now if it was Cameron who was visiting, then that would be Grabbing Headlines.

It has been very hush-hush all right.
Here is Ming's opinion on it.

Commenting on the suicide of three inmates at the US base at Guantanamo, Ming Campbell MP, said:

These deaths tragically underline the damage that Guantanamo Bay does to the reputation of the United States and its allies.

Those who are detained should either be given a fair trial or be released.

The Prime Minister describes Guantanamo Bay as ‘an anomaly’. The truth is that it is an outrage which violates all legal principles.

www.mingcampbell.org.uk...

Although haven't heard anything since in relation to his visit.

America last night dashed Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell's hopes of meeting British detainees in Guantanamo Bay.
Campbell had said he would not go if he could not meet prisoners, but senior US sources said that this was 'highly unlikely' to be possible. Lib Dem officials were keen to stress they had not abandoned the idea of a trip altogether.

The US response came after Campbell wrote to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last week asking her to arrange an 'official visit'. He acknowledged in his letter that he had 'raised a number of issues about the legal implications' of the camp.

politics.guardian.co.uk...


Knew it would be stopped somwhere down the line.