The detention and interrogation facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, which I have visited, has served and continues to serve an important role in the war against terrorists since it opened a decade years ago. It houses high-value terrorist detainees, like Khalid Sheik Muhammad, the architect of September 11.
The military commissions’ courthouse, called the Expeditionary Legal Compound, is a world-class, state-of-the-art facility specifically designed to accommodate the needs of both defense and prosecutors dealing with classified information. The detainees there are represented by civilian and military counsel, and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that they enjoy the constitutional right of habeas corpus. The conditions of detention there are safe, secure, and humane, and comply with national and international standards, including Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.
It is important to remember that the United States of America is engaged in armed conflict and has been since September 11, 2001. The September 18, 2001, Authorization for Use of Military Force, relied upon by both the Bush and Obama administrations, gives our military the legal authority to engage the enemy under appropriate circumstances.
