Northwestern Law Prof. Douglas Cassel declared that a Supreme Court ruling over prisoners of war at Guantanamo Bay will have international implications for human rights during a Thursday night discussion that turned into debate over the apathy of NU’s student body.
“U.S. Prisoners in Guantanamo: Must we abandon the rule of law to fight terrorism?” was sponsored by Amnesty International and addressed the 600 suspected terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay without access to the American legal system due to the naval base’s Cuban location.
Cassel, who represents several prisoners’ families who are suing for American jurisdiction over Guantanamo, formulated one of seven writs of “friend of the court” that influenced the Supreme Court’s Monday decision to take their case.
He said the case would determine not only the prisoners’ legal status but also the American position on international ideas of due process and habeas corpus, or the right to inquire whether a person is being imprisoned lawfully.
“It’s a historic moment for the rule of law in the U.S. When push comes to shove, when times are rough, do we stand for these principles we say we believe in?” he asked an audience of about 40 students and Northwestern community members gathered in Swift Hall.
Cassel argued that the American government’s refusal to grant its prisoners habeas corpus violated basic human rights, citing an international tradition and relating Guantanamo Bay to the Japanese internment camps of World War II.
Further, he said, the government’s actions set a dangerous precedent for other countries. When former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed was accused of denying prisoners due process and subjecting them to other injustices, Mohamed defended himself by saying that he was following America’s example.
At the end of his talk, Cassel exhorted audience members to write letters to their congressmen and noted the success of Amnesty International’s letter-writing campaigns.
“You guys make a difference. Each of you can decide for yourselves. Which tradition do you want yourself to be associated with?” he asked. “Which tradition do you want your country to stand for?”
Medill freshman Kendra Marr said she believed the speech accomplished its main objective.
“I came to the lecture not knowing much about Guantanamo Bay,” she said. “I feel more informed and more empowered to do something now.”
Chicago resident Jay Johnson, however, strongly opposed Cassel’s argument, arguing the Guantanamo prisoners were terrorists and deserved to be treated as such.
“Better them than the three thousand in New York who are no longer with us,” he said. “I’m not going to help our enemies kill us. I’m an American citizen.”
Audience discussion culminated in a heated argument when a local high school teacher and Amnesty International advisor said that the event’s low turnout was indicative of a campus wide passivity.
“When I was in college, this meeting would have been packed. It’s not even half full!” he exclaimed.
NU students rose to their own defense, attributing the turnout to a number of other events being held at the same time and saying that their attendance was a sign of their interest and passion.
Cassel joked that he was impressed with the number of people in the audience.
“Usually I’m talking to three or four people, and I think that’s a high turnout,” he said.
