To the Point

Should the US Prison at Guant-namo Bay Be Shut Down?

Republican Arlen Spector, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, plans public hearings on reports of prisoner abuse at the Guantanamo Bay. Democrat Joseph Biden says the detention center's reputation makes it a "propaganda tool... for recruiting terrorists" and that it ought to be shut down. Former President Jimmy Carter said Monday that he agrees. The Pentagon insists that it's saving lives by holding "known terrorists," gathering intelligence and preventing future attacks. Why are some prisoners still denied legal rights despite a ruling by the US Supreme Court? With its increasingly sinister reputation, is Guant-namo doing America more harm than good? We speak with former military officials committed to changing US foreign policy, experts in law and risk management, and a Pentagon consultant on terror. Making News: Four Californians Detained as Part of Possible Terror Cell An American citizen has admitted he was trained in Pakistan to blow up a hospital or a food store in the United States. Twenty-two year old Hamid Hayat was arrested in Lodi, 35 miles south of Sacramento, California. Greg Krikorian is covering the story for the Los Angeles Times. Reporter's Notebook: Bush Aide Played Down Greenhouse Gas Links to Global Warming The New York Times reports that a high-level Bush official edited government reports on climate change to play down links to greenhouse gas emissions. Philip Cooney, Chief of Staff for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, once lead the oil industry's fight against emission limits. Documents showing his changes in government reports were given to the Times by the Government Accountability Project, which provides legal assistance to whistle-blowers. Andrew Revkin wrote today's story.