U.S. unsure as to exact numbers at Guantanomo

www.nypost.com...

U.S. ADMITS GITMO NUMBERS PUZZLE

August 12, 2003 -- SAN FRANCISCO - The United States said yesterday it had neither an exact count nor all the names of hundreds of people captured in Afghanistan and now detained at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba.
Federal lawyers made the disclosure during a court hearing in a case on behalf of Falen Gherebi, a Libyan national believed to be in custody in Cuba.

At the appeals court hearing yesterday, a scheduled discussion over the government's right to hold Gherebi became a debate on whether the government even kept complete records on those held.

"They won't let him out and they won't tell us if he's there," said Stephen Yagman, a lawyer for Gherebi's brother. "This is crazy."

The panel of judges expressed shock about the apparent lack of record-keeping on people who have been in custody for 577 days.

Government lawyers contested that while they had attempted to keep records, they were incomplete because some of those who were arrested had not cooperated, and said that translating the names from Arabic had created problems with spelling.

The White House has argued that the court does not have jurisdiction to rule on the legal rights of the captives, since they are being held on foreign soil, in Cuba, on land that is leased to, not owned by, the United States.

-Reuters

The U.S. is running a concentration camp, plain and simple. Or if you prefer, a gulag.

Someone explain to me how someone can be held for 577 days in a military prison without knowing the charges against them. Comparisons to Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and Communist China come to mind.

Does this make you proud to be an American? Does this make you wonder why the rest of the world mistrusts and sometimes even hates America?

I can't decide if Guantanomo is an example of fascism, racism, or just plain arrogant stupidity.

Does anyone have a total on how many people have been charged with any crimes from Guantanomo. Oh yeah, none.


Jakomo

it is incompetence, arrogance, ignorance, stupidity and a probable breach of human rights it is against everything that america is supposed to stand for

a concentration camp disguised as a POW camp

Funny how none of our many pro-Americans want to touch this one.

I suppose you can't spin this at all, but I was hoping someone would try

Jakomo, daystar

Low response rate is of interest.

1. Guantanamo gets less coverage than the massive, praiseworthy 'victory' over the non-existent Iraqi defenses

2. I would hazard a guess that if you asked 100 Americans who is incarcerated there:

This just shows us just how CRUEL, UNJUST and DISORGANICED USA REALLY IS.. they dont even know how many "HOSTAGES" they have there.. ..

"Someone explain to me how someone can be held for 577 days in a military prison without knowing the charges against them. Comparisons to Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and Communist China come to mind."

Just one thing.. China, USSR and 1933-1945 Germany.. They told them and China still does tell what are the reasons "for you being here.." Enemies of STATE..
Cause opposition of TOTALITARIAN SYSTEMS DO KNOW THAT THEY WILL BE TREATED LIKE CRAP WHEN THEY GET BUSTED.. But the Land of the Free should not act this way..

But ill bet that US is just HOLDING THOSE POOR PEOPLE HOSTAGE FOR FUN! In reality none of those HOSTAGES posed any treaht to US.. but O BOY DO THEY NOW? Couple of years in Prison for no reason.. SHOULD MAKE PEOPLE ANGRY.. Maybe this is US plot to keep Al-Qaeda supplied with new recruits..

So, "CRUEL" eh? How about we give em two in the chest and one in the head for each prisoner? Ive yet to hear of such a thing like that to happen there. "UNJUST" eh? Well of course were unjust, i figured you liberals would of figured that out by now?! "Disorganized" eh? Well of course we are, always been that way.

Okay and on to a more serious note. I myself dont even support having guantanamo bay, grabbing some terrorists, taking em half way across the world and dumping em on some island. Is it just me, or perhaps it would be a good idea if we built a max security prison in afghanistan, give the money to run it to the afghan govnt, oversee it, and just catch the terrorists in that country, and chunk them in there to let the locals deal with them? Perhaps it would be more organized that way.

[Edited on 17-8-2003 by AgentMulder320]

Fookin line em up and count em WTF !

I'd imagine it makes it far easier to make them "disappear" if there's no actual record of them in the first place.

And I'm sure if they actually had any access whatsoever to, say, a LAWYER, they would be giving their names in a heartbeat. "My name is Joe, here's my address, tell my wife I love her and miss her".

It's a problem that's just beginning, I think. Eventually we are going to find out the more terrible things they are doing to these unfortunate people in Guantanomo, and I doubt that any Americans are going to feel proud.


Jakomo