Well, I think the first thing Congress should do is repeal the Military Commissions Act. I’m very disturbed that a number of people who are looking at the highest office in the land have supported an act which advertently or inadvertently authorizes the admission into evidence of information gained through torture. That's not the America that I believe in. And the America that I believe in doesn't detain people indefinitely without charges. So I’d start with the Military Commissions Act.
Then I’d get our NATO allies into the act. They've said they don't like Guantanamo either. So I’d like to create an international tribunal, not a kangaroo court of military commissions. And let's go back through the evidence. And let's lay it out. Who are these people that have been held down there? And what have they been held for? And which ones can be released? And which ones should be tried in court and convicted?
You see, essentially, you cannot win the war on terror by military force. It is first and foremost a battle of ideas. It is secondly a law enforcement effort and a cooperative effort among nations. And only as a last resort do you use military force. This president has distorted the capabilities of the United States Armed Forces. He's used our men and women in uniform improperly in Guantanamo and engaged in actions that I think are totally against the Uniform Code of Military Justice and against what we stand for as the American people.
It amazes me that more of a big deal is not being made about repealing the MCA. This law is an abomination. In any event, I strongly recommend reading the entire Wesley Clark in an interview with Amy Goodman. It's one of the more refreshing bits of straight talking from a mainstream, even if unelected, politician that I've heard in a while.
By the way, the interviews on "Democracy Now" are among the best on the airwaves. Its podcasts are free, and they're worth subscribing to. The one with Chris Hedges was also very good. Transcript here.
UPDATE: Just found a NY Times editorial making the same points about the MCA and other measures taken by the Bush Administration that lay the groundwork for the authoritarian regime of the future. This is the important point to remember. This all doesn't go away when Cheney/Bush leave office. They are leaving an infrastructure that can be exploited in the future. No one thought the Patriot Act would result in the administration's cashiering the seven or so federal prosecutors to make way for more docile political appointees. God knows what else has slipped into other legislation passed in the last seven years, the implications of which we will find out when it is too late.