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Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 13:41 GMT 14:41 UK

And how do you distinguish the "good guys" from the "hate-filled people" without proper trial? Maybe by their skin color? or by their religion? or their Asian face features?

Chris, Hoboken, NJ

To begin with let's put "wrong place wrong time" with "guilt by association" and "caught in the act" all together for the majority of the detainees and we can easily distinguish good vs. bad. If is was skin color or religion we'd put a barbed wire fence around the Mid East and install guard towers.

Jeff Fogltance, Ontario, United States

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 13:20 GMT 14:20 UK

"Wow, is it just me who wishes that John McCain was elected now? [Nassir Almansoor, Manchester]


Yes, it is.

Nigel Hutson, Leiden, Netherlands

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 13:13 GMT 14:13 UK

It would be wrong to turn them loose without any trial. Mr Obama is doing the right thing.

quis custodiet

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 13:09 GMT 14:09 UK

"He has come to the realization that the standard BBC line - That these were sweat inocent kids pickup up for no apparent reason and waterboarded for fun..."
[douglas roman]

Umm... Sorry? Care to tell us all when/where the BBC have *ever* said that? No? Thought not.

Decent people everywhere believe that people are Innocent Until Proven Guilty. Stop trying to blame the media for the fact that because, you haven't provided any proof for your accusations, nobody believes them out-of-hand.

[Khrystalar], London, United Kingdom

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 12:58 GMT 13:58 UK

i cant believe it! this is something i never really expected. Obama is reviving military trials for detainees in Guantanamo? i thought Guantanamo was going to be closed once Obama come into the Presidency. if he doesnt, then it means he has changed his mind. as far as i can remember the same Guantanamo was said to be harrassing detainees. ok! iam really lost. Obama has changed his mind afterall. yah! he is human and has his own agendas. what can you expect from a human beings except 4 surprises?

tshepang maxala, gaborone

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 12:34 GMT 13:34 UK

"Most Americans need a scapegoat for 9/11 and would like to see them strung up - guilty or not - and that is the most pathetic thing about Americans."
Klara Troinoff, United Kingdom

It is a good thing that you don't speak for most Americans. The results of the last election (in which the candidate who supported the rule of law defeated the one who supported the Bush regime's evasion of law) are a better representation of our views.

quis custodiet

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 12:33 GMT 13:33 UK

From all these comments about uniforms and such.

Has anyone declared war?

NO is the answer.

There is no fighting between two nations, and no country has made the statement that "we are at war with XXXXX"

So the Geneva convention does not apply in the sense you are suggesting.

Terrorism is a worldwide issue of no fixed abode. If there is evidence that these people were involved then let punishment be given in accordance with the rules, otherwise send them home.

[chrisk50]

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 12:32 GMT 13:32 UK

I hope the world did not expect President Obama to do the impossible: TO RELEASE THE GUANTANOMO DETAINEES WITHOUT TRIAL. To me the decision to revive trials has not come as a surprise since Obama could not established any other way better than this. There is nothing wrong with the word trial anyway. what should be of greater concern for civil rights activists is HOW THIS CAN BE DONE and this is something we should help Obama to decide without encouraging impunity on the other side.

Paul Baak Anyaar, Luonyaker - South Sudan

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 12:30 GMT 13:30 UK

Isn't it obvious, the president might have changed but the advisers and close aides haven't. They are the ones that ultimately make the decisions.

Samuel H

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 12:20 GMT 13:20 UK

To be fair to Obama, what's he going to do instead? Somehow he has to process the detainees. He can't keep them forever & he can't just release them all (the outcry would be magnitudes louder). As long as these trials start, keep going at a reasonable pace & the prisoners get processed within the law then that's OK.

The main thing wrongs with Guantanamo is that people are being held indeterminantly without trial & *were* allegedly being tortured, so far Obama's done what he said he would.

Jon, Horsham

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 11:53 GMT 12:53 UK

Not to mention it as a "failed experiment" but frittering of taxpayers' money as well.

Alexandra, Singapore

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 10:42 GMT 11:42 UK

Its pretty clear that Guantanamo has been run completely outside the law and that it contains a mixture of evil terrorists who would slit your throat given half a chance and completely innocent losers found in the wrong place at the wrong time. Its also clear that nobody wants any of these people. It seems perfectly reasonable that no normal legal process can clear this mess up. Its to Obamas credit that he tried to use the legal system before being forced to go extralegal.

jeremy slawson, plymouth, United Kingdom

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 10:00 GMT 11:00 UK

He only use issue the to get votes,afterall he just another politician.The americans only over celebrated him.

orkuma tyoasough, gboko, Nigeria

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 09:05 GMT 10:05 UK

I think the prison on Guantanamo is alltogether illegitimate and represent a sort of terrorism and abuse to human rights. Even proven criminals have the right to fair trial within certain time. What goes on that loathsome prison is torture for fun Vendetta.
Do you think the Palestinians can do a Guantanamo-like prison for the Israeli proven criminals whose hands are covered with Palestinian blood ?
911 was an rare act of terrorism , can't happen again. Don't make innocents pay.

Mike Stami

Added: Monday, 18 May, 2009, 08:20 GMT 09:20 UK

I seem to recall that Obama was against Guantanamo all throughout his campaign. To keep it open and continue to hold trials there is a de-facto U turn in policy, and will be a dissapointment to many in America.

Paulio, Dublin