Thompson: No Habeus Corpus for Gitmo Prisoners

From CBS News' John Bentley:

WATERLOO, IOWA -- For the first time since he started his presidential campaign, Fred Thompson took a position directly opposite that of his friend John McCain.

“When I hear one of the fellows running say that we should shut down Guantanamo and bring those prisoners over here ... I wonder if he understands how the world really operates,” Thompson said.

“Well, I don’t wonder, either, I think I have a pretty good idea.”

The Thompson campaign later clarified that the senator was referring to Mike Huckabee, the only other Republican running that has talked about shutting down the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.

Thompson was answering an audience question about habeas corpus.

“The detainees at Guantanamo are not American citizens, they are enemies of this nation and they do not enjoy the rights of American citizens,” he said. “And they are not entitled to habeas corpus protection.”

The crowd of a little over 100 people in Waterloo applauded the line, as they did several others on the last stop of first day of “The Clear Conservative Choice: Hands Down!” tour across Iowa. Thompson also clarified when he would he would be willing to raise his hand. “When Chief Justice John Roberts swears me in, I won’t mind raising my hand.”