Becuase Everything Else Sucks

What Happens in Gitmo Doesn’t Always Stay in Gitmo

By Manila Ryce
Published Sunday, October 8th, 2006, 2:35 am
Filed under: Human Rights, World: North America, War, Terrorism, Society/Culture, World Issues, US Politics

A sworn statement by a Marine sergeant reveals that guards at Guantanamo Bay abuse prisoners regularly. The information was obtained by a female sergeant who conversed with a group of men at a bar on the base, each bragging about beating detainees. “One such story Bo told involved him taking a detainee by the head and hitting the detainee’s head into the cell door. Bo said that his actions were known by others,” but that he was never punished, the statement said.

Other abuses included hitting prisoners, denying them water, and “removing privileges for no reason”. The statement goes on to say that “About 5 others in the group admitted hitting detainees,” and that “From the whole conversation, I understood that striking detainees was a common practice.” The sergeant then described how “everyone in the group laughed at the others stories of beating detainees.” Such abuse is a clear violation of United States and international law. So far, the Pentagon spokesman has declined to comment.

Last month, UN human rights investigators condemned the US for failing to close the base. Since it’s opening, Guantanamo has been a monument to torture, hunger strikes, suicide, and abusive interrogation techniques for a war which is suppose to spread freedom. In 2005 military investigators confirmed abusive and degrading acts, such as forcing detainees to wear bras, dance with other men, and behave like dogs. However, the chief investigator denied that any torture had occurred. Of the 450 detainees, including the 14 in secret CIA prisons, less than a dozen have actually had any charge brought against them.

source

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3 Responses to “What Happens in Gitmo Doesn’t Always Stay in Gitmo”

  1. […] On September 26th, 2002, Arar was detained during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York as he was returning home to Canada. He was held for two weeks inside the US, then flown to Jordan on a private plane. From there he was driven across the border into Syria where he was tortured and held in a dark cell for over 10 months. Arar said life in the cell was “impossible” and admits that he contemplated suicide once he realized he was in Syria. “Since my release, I have been suffering from anxiety, constant fear and depression. My life will never be the same again. But I promised myself one thing, that I will continue my quest for justice as long as I have a breath.” Arar said he simply wants the US authorities responsible for sending him to Syria to admit their wrongdoing and be held accountable for their actions. […]

    The Largest Minority » Blog Archive » Only in America: Human Rights Activist Considered a Terrorist
    10/23/06 at 3:03 am

  2. […] Krar’s story was not picked up by the mainstream American media, nor was it ever mentioned by Attorney General John Ashcroft or the director of the FBI. In a post-9/11 era, it does seem odd that a genuine WMD uncovered on American soil did not make the news. However, the mainstream media was always quick to report any possible Muslim terror activity. In fact, the same day Krar’s WMD was found, the New York Times jumped the gun to report that a team in Iraq had finally found chemical weapons. This cache later turned out to be two dozen barrels of pesticides. The story was still used by Republican Senator Rick Santorum to justify support for the war even after it was discredited by the Defense Department. Additionally, the White House has held numerous press conferences to announce the possibility of any Muslim terrorist attack, such as the plot against the Library Tower in LA, without offering any evidence to support their claims. Likewise, hundreds of Muslim and Arab detainees are held without trial and tortured on the basis of suspicion. Still, at home and abroad, Islamist ties to terrorism are better marketed in today’s political climate than the larger threats posed by white fascists. And though you will never hear this from your television, both Krar and Konopka, two white US citizens, are accountable for possessing a great deal more chemical weapons than have ever been found in Iraq since the US-led invasion. […]

    The Largest Minority » Blog Archive » The WASP Nests: The Biggest Terrorist Caches Ever Found Are a Secret
    10/30/06 at 12:39 am

  3. […] Gitmo detention buildings are hidden behind rows of chain-link fences with spiral barbed wire. Watchtowers dot the perimeter, and guards without name tags have been known to abuse detainees on a regular basis. Detainees are separated by the color of their uniform. Fully compliant prisoners wear white, while tan and orange uniforms are reserved for more resistant detainees. In Gitmo, your level of compliance determines how many people you room with, what kind of toothbrush you have, or even how comfortable your sleeping mat is. However, regardless of your level of compliance, all detainees undergo a mandatory daily interrogation. Talkative prisoners are rewarded with fast food or coffee, but all are required to have at least one ankle shackled to the floor. Most of the uncharged prisoners are introverts when it comes to the “voluntary” interrogations, which may be a process they’ll have the rest of their lives to get use to. […]

    The Largest Minority » Blog Archive » Guantanamo’s Retirement Plan: You’re Here Till You Die
    10/30/06 at 11:15 am

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