The Washington Post opens today with a fascinating article by Carol D. Leonnig, called “Panel Ignored Evidence on Detainee”.
Though well intentioned, they don’t get the full case and one is left wondering who is doing their basic fact checking for page A01 articles.
Here is the first paragraph:
The problem: Murat Kurnaz is no German national nor has ever been one. He is a Turkish citizen.
Anyways, here is the full story which is even more tragic: Murat Kurnaz is the son of a Turkish migrant family, and grew up in the Northern German town of Bremen. Because of German immigration law – which I oppose – he couldn’t get German citizenship.
Here is the real problem: neither the German, nor the Turkish government consequently felt responsible to intervene in Washington. That’s why there is a movement in Bremen to force Bremen’s state government to become more active on his behalf, which Bremen’s Senate denied.
When Murat Kurnaz will finally be extradicted from Gtmo, there is nowhere he can go: They will send im to Turkey and German officials already indicated it is highly in doubt he will ever be allowed to enter Germany again. Because he stayed abroard longer than 6 months (thanks to the stay in cuba) he lost his residence permit.
The WaPo is doing the right thing in pointing out how an innocent was harmed by a flawed and unlawful process. But when they cannot even get the first sentence correct they open themselves up for criticism from those who support the Gtmo regime.
I wrote the WaPo. 8 hours ago and I even called their foreign desk, which transferred me to the “Metro Section”. As of now, the article remains incorrect on their website.
I am supportive of Mr Kurnaz cause to return to Germany, but I fear, Mrs Leonnigs article was no help.
Crossposted from dailykos
