Europe responds to Obama

Many Europeans have responded very positively to President Obama's announcement that he intends to close down the Guantanamo detention center, as well as any other secret CIA-detention centers abroad. They viewed the Guantanamo center as a symbol of American disdain for international law, and argued that its inmates were being detained illegally. President Bush was accused of flouting Geneva Conventiona that govern prisoners of war.

Oddly enough, as John Rosenthal points out, the European Parliament in 2002 passed a resolution supporting Bush's policy. French General Philippe Morillon, speaking in defense of the resolution, wondered if attacks on U.S. policies were not designed 'so that we can, in the name of fine principles and grand sentiments, begin to distance ourselves from the war that Americans are continuing to wage against international terrorism?' His resolution agreed that terrorists, fighting out of uniform and hidden among the civilian population, needed to be treated differently from uniformed soldiers of another country.

In the intervening years, much of Europe has indeed tried to distance itself from the war on terror. It has succeeded - but only rhetorically. In reality, the terrorists have brought their war to Europe.

Guantanamo wasn't, however, the only point of interest for Europeans. Poland and Romania have long been attacked by other European countries for allegedly allowing the CIA to operate secret prisons on their territory; their repeated denials have changed no minds. Now critics are hopeful that the truth of any CIA activities will come to light; we may see in the next few years a spate of lawsuits alleging illegal detentions.