Senator Mel Martinez of Florida is the first top Republican to join the chorus of people who say Guantanamo Bay must be closed.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post makes an important point: closing Guantanamo Bay is a good symbolic step, but it will be meaningless unless the US also takes further steps.
The first step must be to impose legality and outside control on the most shameful part of the detention system -- which is not Guantanamo Bay but the secret network of detention facilities maintained by the CIA. The dozens (at least) of prisoners in this network, including the most important terrorist leaders, are being held without any legal process, outside review, family notification or monitoring by the International Red Cross. Moreover, the administration has declared that such prisoners may be subjected to "cruel, inhuman and degrading" treatment, such as mock executions and simulated drowning, even though the United States has ratified an international treaty prohibiting such practices. It also insists on the right to transport these prisoners to countries where torture is practiced, again in contravention of international law.
All of these prisoners should be held in facilities operated by the United States and visited by the Red Cross; the grounds for their detention should be subject to regular outside review. When possible, they should be charged and tried. As is the case for all other detainees in American custody, treatment that would violate the U.S. Constitution should be illegal.
