Mike Pompeo on Muslims, torture and Guantanamo Bay

The appointment of ancient CIA director Mike Pompeo as US secretary of verbalize occurred on Tuesday after months of rumours that Rex Tillerson turned into on the model out.

Tillerson turned into in overall depicted as a collected hand of « light strain » whereas US President Donald Trump in overall opted for hasty decisions, bombastic rhetoric, and controversial coverage positions. The 2 men disagreed on many issues, alongside side the Iran nuclear deal and the Gulf crisis.

Pompeo, in the meantime, is a controversial figure who has voiced make stronger for torture, desires to protect the penal advanced at Guantanamo Bay delivery, and has a history of xenophobic remarks.

How will Pompeo’s previous contain an influence on his role because the US’ high diplomat? 

On Muslims, immigrants

Pompeo turned into elected to the Condominium of Representatives in 2010, representing Kansas verbalize all the intention through the generation of the Tea Social gathering, the ultra-conservative division of the Republican Social gathering.

He ran against Democratic candidate Raj Goyle, a lifelong Kansas resident and son of Hindu-Indian immigrants.

That didn’t discontinue Pompeo from posting a hyperlink to a blog on his advertising and marketing campaign’s Fb page that known as Goyle « finest any other turban topper we don’t favor in Congress or any political place of job that gives with the US Structure, Christianity and the US of The US! »

The slur turned into written by Bob Pinkstaff of Wichita, a retired US defense force serviceman. The remarks got right here after Goyle « dodged » a inquire of about his religion all the intention through a debate earlier than the 2010 election.

Goyle known as Pompeo out for sharing the blog, announcing the « bigoted attack » went « previous the rules of engagement in politics ». Pompeo apologised, announcing it turned into « inadvertently posted ».

In 2013, two months after the Boston Marathon bombing, Pompeo took to the Condominium ground to accuse US Muslim leaders of failing to sentence « extremist » attacks.

« Silence has made these Islamic leaders across The US potentially complicit in these acts, » he acknowledged.

Corey Saylor, ancient director of the Council on American-Islamic Relatives division that monitors Islamophobia, told Al Jazeera that Pompeo being appointed secretary of verbalize is a « continuation of the troubling insurance policies now we contain viewed coming out of the Trump administration ».

Relating to the message it sends to leaders of Muslim-majority states, Saylor acknowledged this will doubtless mark an absence of « respect » for his or her religion and techniques of life.

Juan Cole, a visiting professor at Qatar College, turned into more verbalize regarding the US’ new high diplomat, describing Pompeo as « out of protect watch over.

« He’s a astronomical Iranophobe. He the truth is has it in for Iran … He’s a astronomical Islamophobe. He’s accused American-Muslim leaders of most doubtless being in cahoots with terrorism … He’s a hardliner. I deem Pompeo is so ideological, so one-sided, » Cole told Al Jazeera.

« I deem right here’s heinous files for Qatar, as an illustration, because I deem he’s very cease to the Saudis. He’s acknowledged overtly if the Saudis and the Israelis are looking out to combine against Iran right here’s all to the trusty. And naturally Qatar is caught in the heart of that. »

On Torture

Pompeo has additionally taken a stalwart stance in favour of « enhanced interrogation » ways, or torture solutions, alongside side waterboarding, used to inquire of those suspected of violent activities.

Pompeo criticised the administration of ancient President Barack Obama for closing « unlit web sites » – secret prisons used to inquire suspects foreign – and the requirement for interrogators to stick to anti-torture licensed pointers.

In 2014, Pompeo accused Obama of neglecting to « capture the war on radical Islamic terrorism significantly ».

The comments had been acknowledged to contain motivated Trump to take be conscious of Pompeo because the long term CIA director. Trump acknowledged on the advertising and marketing campaign path for the 2016 elections that he would take be conscious of bringing lend a hand waterboarding « and a hell of a lot worse ».

At his 2017 confirmation hearing earlier than US legislators to capture the role of CIA chief, Pompeo acknowledged the company wouldn’t restart torture on his watch.

On Guantanamo Bay

Whereas he has backtracked on torture, Pompeo’s make stronger of Guantanamo Bay, the US naval spoiled in Cuba where international nationals suspected of acts of « terrorism » are imprisoned, looks to be to be unwavering. 

The penal advanced camp turned into one amongst the testing grounds for the « enhanced interrogation » ways of the administration of ancient President George W Bush.

Numerous US officers contain known as for the penal advanced’s closure, alongside side Obama.

Undoubtedly one of Obama’s first acts as president turned into to mark an verbalize to cease Guantanamo. The spoiled turned into never closed. Pompeo has spoken favourably of this result.

« GTMO has been a goldmine of intelligence about radical Islamic terrorism, » Pompeo acknowledged in 2016.

Plenty of the forty one detainees at Guantanamo contain never been tried. Of these men, 31 are being held in indefinite « law-of-war » detention. Five of these are steered for transfer if security prerequisites are met.

But any other seven contain been charged by the defense force prison justice diagram, which is separate from US civil law. But any other three had been convicted.

The newly appointed secretary of verbalize wrote in an op-ed in the Kansas Metropolis Celebrity in 2015 that « there’s rarely always any evidence that these and diversified detainees wouldn’t snappily return to the battlefield taking a search to attain damage to our squaddies, our citizens and our daily life. »

Omar Farah, a senior workers attorney at the Center for Structure Rights who litigates conditions at Gitmo, told Al Jazeera that « vilifying the prisoners is a drained trick to excuse a Guantanamo coverage that turned into brutal and uninteresting from day one. »

Even though the forty one detainees are the « hardened terrorist » Pompeo contends, a « finest, constitutional democracy owes even its worst prisoners better than 16 years and counting of indefinite imprisonment », acknowledged Farah.

The appointment of Pompeo because the US’ high diplomat additionally implies that « Trump’s instincts are sharpening », the attorney added. Pompeo will additionally be a « catastrophe for Guantanamo.

« Used secretaries of verbalize and their envoys had responsibility for negotiating Guantanamo releases. With Pompeo at the helm, or no longer it is doubtful any person leaves Guantanamo alive with out a judicial verbalize, » Farah acknowledged.