Rumsfeld defends plan to hold war detainees

New York Times
March 28, 2002
By DAVID STOUT

WASHINGTON, March 28 - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld defended today the Pentagon's plans to hold some detainees from the Afghan war indefinitely even if they are acquitted by military tribunals.

To turn all the detainees loose after acquittals would be "mindless," he said.

Even if a detainee is acquitted of actual crimes, he may still be a sworn enemy of the United States, Mr. Rumsfeld said, adding, "At a minimum, he is someone to be kept off the battlefield."

A week ago today, Mr. Rumsfeld made it clear that freedom will not be automatic for a detainee just because he is acquitted. His remarks intensified criticism from some human rights groups of the handling of the detainees.

Today, Mr. Rumsfeld said the prisoners, in custody at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, would continue to be treated humanely in every way.

But keeping many of them in custody is not only "responsible and lawful" but "simple common sense," Mr. Rumsfeld said.

"There will be a good number that, regardless of whether or not they are tried by a commission or by some other mechanism, or acquitted, that we would not want back on the street for some period of time," he said.

Speaking at a regular Pentagon news briefing, Mr. Rumsfeld said, "There is not going to be single cookie mold that will be pressed down over this aggregation of people."

Historically, the secretary said, countries have held their enemies' captured soldiers until the end of war. But since the fighting against Al Qaeda and Taliban members has no timetable and in any event will surely not end "with a signing ceremony on the Missouri," as Mr. Rumsfeld has put it, it seems possible that some detainees from Afghanistan will be held indefinitely.

Some confusion arose at the Pentagon briefing this afternoon over just how many prisoners are being held at Guantanamo, and whether in fact some may already have been released, perhaps to return to their countries of origin.

"There may be individuals that tomorrow one will come to a conclusion that they're no longer a threat, for whatever reason," the secretary said at one point. "And, as I say, that's already happened. We've released people already."

The questioning then shifted to other topics, until Mr. Rumsfeld was asked again whether he had meant to say that some detainees had actually been released from Guantanamo, as opposed perhaps to being freed shortly after initial capture. "I don't care to respond," Mr. Rumsfeld said.

Moments later, he said detainees have been released "in a variety of locations." Asked if there were as many detainees at Guantanamo (about 300) as last reported, the secretary said, "I doubt it. I'd have to go back and check. I lose track. Correction, I don't try to keep track.... That's as good as I can do."

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