The USA opened the base. The USA ran the base for years. The USA started the war. The USA illegally brought the "prisoners" there. Not he USA want no part in their release after years of torture? Bush is not in office so he does not care, sent them to his 1300 acre 4 square mile ranch. Mr Bush could build low income housing on his ranch (no crops or livestock) to keep a close eye on the 13 year old boys he kept captive for years with no evidence.

By Paul Matin | January 23, 2009 10:51 AM

Well i agree with the statements above and i congratulates the three coalition partners, supported by the Socialists and the anti-immigration party PVV,because the immigrants kept in various asylum seekers centre in the netherlands is just a little bit(kleine betje)free that Guantanamo bay,its an open prison, the netherlands should takecare of their own house and give better life to immigrants. Its seems as if they are piling up immigrants again for General pardon!
Clark.

By clark johnson | January 23, 2009 3:09 PM

I can feel Mr. Matin's pain and frustration with what the United States is doing to the poor innocent people they captured in Afghanistan and without approval from the Taliban shipped them to a prison in Cuba.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the International Red Cross, tortured them day after day, even during half time at their soccer matches.

Living in Texas, it would be no improvement to sent them here. They are much better of where they are. Just imagine these poor people having to be treated for fire ants bites after their soccer matches.

Always remember Mr. Matin, Osama loves you and appreciate your support.

By Hank Kemp | January 23, 2009 5:51 PM

I would agree with the above statements "IF" The USA has/had NEVER, in the past helped out The Netherlands and all other European Nations. Should we start a list of how and when the USA said YES to ALL of the worlds nations? So why not take a few of these people, put them behind bars, throw away the key or whatever...Thanks for closing your doors to the USA...

By LB | January 23, 2009 6:55 PM

If U.S. Representative and Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee John Conyers has his way, Ex-President G.B. 43 may still have to face a criminal investication for various counts of Federal misconduct--it's quite a long list from what I've heard.
Having said that after the world in general has been clammering for the shutdown of Gitmo, so now one would think the least The Netherlands and others could do would be to accept a token few of these last 245 detainees, just to show some support for the newly inaugurated President Obama, who had the strength to do what G.B.43 should have done long ago. Or would one rather prefer that they be taken back to Afghanistan and released back into the welcoming arms of the Taliban?

By HistoryTechDoc | January 23, 2009 7:24 PM

Come on people, don't be so unreasonable, this is a small country and to take these dangerous criminals with the Dutch too soft legal system? It would be like an open invitation for these terrorists to escape and make a new Iraq, terrorist launching base here in the Netherlands!

By sandra | January 24, 2009 7:09 AM

Well Sandra, it is quite nice for you to consider them 'terrorists'. You already have them convicted without a trial: many of these people cannot have a trial because after many years, they haven't even been charged! Some will be guilty, but others will not - an ordinary person would wait to see the difference before tarring them all with the same brush.

By Shap | January 24, 2009 3:13 PM

I know I'm being sarcastic when taking issue with Sandra.

She can not convince me that there is no place in the Netherlands to house the poor 13 years old Taliban combatants presently at Gitmo, who were being tortured on a daily basis by the former president and now, after being rescued by the new president, are not wanted in the Netherlands.

What an act of selfish and inhumane behavior.

The only reason I don't want them in Texas, is out of compassion, because fire ants bites do hurt. I'm convinced that Mr. Bush is of the same opinion, otherwise he would have had the strength to close Gitmo years ago and moved these poor people to his ranch in Texas and not have waited for the new untouchable leader to do so.

A new leader, who will go down in the history books as being the president with the longest honeymoon in the history of the United States.

Once that is over and the slobbering has stopped, maybe we can go down to business and become sane again.

Remember the woman being shot at the soccer stadium in Kabul, Afghanistan by the Taliban and shown all over the world a few years ago?

I wonder what her opinion would be concerning the poor prisoners at Gitmo, or what support she would give to John Conyers in his quest to further damage the United States.

Maybe Mr. Matin can start a movement in Holland, to be compassionate and welcome these poor 13 yrs old with open arms.

He then would be called a noble man and be eligible for the Price.

By Hank Kemp | January 24, 2009 7:37 PM

IF the Dutch and French didn't aid the USA it would not be the USA. Those British "Red Coats" were terrorizing your people and our countries came to your aid first. If "LB" would learn history he may know these facts. Your president brought them to your military base, you take them or send them home. I would like to add that the USA's greed caused the current banking failures. I guess we should take all of America's prisoners under your logic? Try spending money on diplomacy instead of bombs, you get a better result!

By Paul Martin | January 25, 2009 12:45 PM

I'm sorry but after all the torture this guys experienced I don't think any off this prisoners are up for something they just want to go home.Who has the proofe how bad can they be...the law will sort them out ....
Okay what happend if there is a terror attack in NL and NL want's help from the USA I hope they don't get any....
Bush was doing a lot wrong, however I think we also should help Obama he want's to get things right! Germany said already if it comes to it they will help a friend and they will take some of this prisoners.
They have a different friendship with the US then NL.
I just can't stand hypercritics and the dutch are no 1 ...give Obama some support..pls..

By Minnie | January 25, 2009 3:35 PM

Whether you are fans of Osama or fans of Obama, what the hell is the difference? They were all captured in the battlefields quilty as they come, let's have a field day and hang them all. Or offer them to Fidel accross the fence and let them learn to do the cha-cha and have a ball. They might all decide to stay in Cuba after all. Life in the Carribean is not too bad. How's that for a Gitmo solution in the interest of world peace?

By Carlos Borjal | January 25, 2009 8:49 PM

Selfish?, We have a population of over seventeen million people on a tiny little dot on the map of Europe, where on earth are we to put these people? The United States has mass land space to spare so does Canada, why is it that the Netherlands is always the one to ask to take asylum seekers and take the brunt of intenational criminals on this tiny little piece of land?

By sandra | January 26, 2009 5:53 AM