Dawkins writes:

Tuning in this morning to Brian Lehrer's talk show on WNYC New York public radio. What follows is a close paraphrase (best approximation of actual quotes and the gist) of the discussion about how five Britons were recently released from Guantanamo Bay after being held without charge, without cause, without access to lawyers or any other outside contact, by the Bush administration for two years. Lehrer was interviewing a female reporter from the London Guardian on the issue.

The conversation went something like this:

Lehrer: So why were the men released?
London Guardian: As far as we can tell, the men did not pose a threat to the United States or Britain.
L: How do we know they didn't?
LG: We don't know for sure because there were no charges filed against them nor stated cause for the detention.
L: So they could be very dangerous, right?
LG: Of course, but they could also be not dangerous, we just don't know since there are no charges filed.
L: But does no charges filed mean they're not dangerous?
LG: Not necessarily…
L: So maybe they're very dangerous. We just don't know the circumstances under which they were picked up in Afghanistan.
LG: That's true, and we also don't know why they were being held in detention, as the American authorities never released that information.
L: But we don't know for sure that they posed no threat.
LG: Well, actually, the British home secretary, Jack Straw, had seen the dossier on the five men and based on that, just recently announced publicly that they posed no threat to the United States or Britain.
L: But they must have been dangerous since they were being held for so long…

Just your typical reasoned, independent-minded "sane alternative" talk radio journalism from Mr. Brian Lehrer on New York's WNYC public radio!



Blicero adds: The longer they are held, the more potentially dangerous they become...Kafka is rolling in his grave.