Military Commissions Act of 2006. How Should Detainees Be Treated? Ess

Guantanamo Bay in Cuba houses some of the most dangerous people captured during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The people being held have been accused of committing a range of crimes. One of the most poignant and well-known features of Guantanamo Bay is the long time period a detainee spends there without going to trial. Being in the prison for an extensive period of time, a detainee is bound to be disciplined for not following orders from the guards. There are often a variety of different methods that the guards use to discipline to the detainees. Some who follow Guantanamo Bay as an institution often criticize the measures taken. What makes Guantanamo Bay an ironic place to start this journey is that it is at the center of attention of a very important and controversial law passed by Congress in 2006. The law was called the Military Commissions Act of 2006. The purpose of this law was to define the powers of the executive branch in determining how detainees in Guantanamo Bay and o ther prisons held on terrorism charges against the United States should be treated as well as define the parameters of what is a fair trail. â€Å"No president should ever be given the power to call someone an enemy, wave his hand, and lock them away indefinitely† (Military Commissions). Instead, the way detainees are to be treated is up to the country in control of the prison, not just one person. When President Bush ran and succeeded getting a second term beginning in 2005, he had more policy initiatives he wanted to put in place. One of his initiatives was centered on the idea of counterterrorism (Head). After the September 11th attacks and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security President Bush felt there should be more tools to help crea... ...eb. 08 Dec. 2011. . Kryanek, Michael. "Capital Punishment." Debates, Differences, and Divisions: The 25 Issues That Shape American Politics. Boston: Longman, 2011. 180-88. Print. "Military Commissions Act of 2006." American Civil Liberties Union. 13 Mar. 2007. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. . Roskin, Michael G., Robert L. Cord, James A. Medeiros, and Walter S. Jones. Political Science: An Introduction. Twelfth Edition. Boston, CO: Longman, 2012. Print. "USA: Military Commissions Act of 2006- Turning Bad Policy Into Bad Law." Amnesty International. 29 Sept. 2006. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. 8743-d305bea2b2c7/amr511542006en.html>.