NEWS: Letter from Guantanamo : I partially witnessed two murders

A controversial, uncensored, and unclassified letter made it's way out of Guantanamo, written by a man who has been detained there for two and a half years, to his family back in Britian. The letter alledges abuse, torture, humiliation, racism, and murders.



This is not helping the US authorities after the recent Abu Graihb situation, and confirms what many people were always suspicious of, and may perhaps lend more credit to the 'systematic abuse' theory.
Five other Britians who were released in March have also alledged abuse.


[edit on 1-10-2004 by Nerdling]

Originally posted by browha
"Why was I physically abused and degradingly stripped by force, then paraded in front of several cameras toted by US personnel?"

"The reason for being held in Bagram detention facility (in Afghanistan) for a year and consequently being denied natural light and fresh food for the duration."

"The exact purpose of my incarceration in solitary confinement since 8 February 2003."

"Why all news pertaining to my situation is barred from me?"

I can answer most of this, working in Corrections as I do. Keep in mind I have NO love of this administration.

1- Strip searches are performed to deny contriban and weapons to people incarserated.

2- I have no idea, without the documentation.

3- I don't think that it would be going out on a limb to say that he was put in PC (protective custody) to keep him alive.

4- is BS, discloser allows the lawyer access to every aspect of the claims labeled at anyone.

"Why was I physically abused and degradingly stripped by force, then paraded in front of several cameras toted by US personnel?"

1- Strip searches are performed to deny contriban and weapons to people incarserated.

1. Why were photos/video(?) taken?

"The reason for being held in Bagram detention facility (in Afghanistan) for a year and consequently being denied natural light and fresh food for the duration."

2- I have no idea, without the documentation.

Being a Muslem is considered an admission of guilt in the eyes of the US administration, this means you have no rights, even when it contradicts UN Resolutions and the Geneva convention.

"The exact purpose of my incarceration in solitary confinement since 8 February 2003."

3- I don't think that it would be going out on a limb to say that he was put in PC (protective custody) to keep him alive.

Who exactly is he being protected from?

"Why all news pertaining to my situation is barred from me?"

4- is BS, discloser allows the lawyer access to every aspect of the claims labeled at anyone.

See Above - Question 2

Intrepid - Do you work in Military Corrections or Civil Corrections?

The mere existence of Guantanamo brings into question Human/Civil Rights issues, to believe there just being detained for their own good is a might naive.

You can't 'partially witness' a murder.
Either you did witness it, or you didn't.

This letter is BS. I don't buy it.
Gitmo houses criminals and terrorists.
If they don't like it there, they shouldn't
have been terrorists.

They are just whining so they can play
on international hatred of the USA and
try to get $$$ out of the deep pockets of
the USA.

.
The US governement under this administration has simply run amuck.
In their hysteria about terrorism they have trampled the very freedoms the terrorists envy and wish to take from us.
The fact of the matter is this administration has no respect for human lives or rights. The only people they care about are the CEO's of Expatriot American Corporations.
.

who gives a # about the scum at gitmo, I hope they are being abused 27/7 ,lets keep piling on the misery.
When they have served their purpose lets put a round in the back of their heads.

With some of the logic used above maybe the justice system should be done away with, looks like I was right about the States, guilty until found innocent.

Do you guys think the same way about people who are arrested by the police? Cos' I guess they are highly unlikely to arrest someone who is innocent are they?

[edit on 1-10-2004 by Koka]

The majority of people at Gitmo, like Abu Gharib, are innocent. It's popular in Iraq or Afghanistan to blackmail people. Say, "Give me money or I'm going to tell the Americans you are a terrorist." If you don't pay, you go to jail. I was reading a Seymour Hersh article that talked about how Gitmo was worse than Abu Gharib, and when these atrocities come to light, America is going to be shamed for years to come.

Originally posted by browha

"The exact purpose of my incarceration in solitary confinement since 8 February 2003."

Because he was captured on the battlefield fighting against US forces in an irregular army

"Why all news pertaining to my situation is barred from me?"

Beucase he has no right to receive such news.

is he partially pregnant too?

Originally posted by Koka
With some of the logic used above maybe the justice system should be done away with, looks like I was right about the States, guilty until found innocent.

Guantanamo is not part of the justice system so one has nothing to do with the other. First Guantanamo is a military base and is not US soil that is why they are there. Second, they are not US citizens and should not be afforded the protections of the system they are trying to destroy, just as POWs are treated differently than civil criminals.

Originally posted by Koka
Do you guys think the same way about people who are arrested by the police? Cos' I guess they are highly unlikely to arrest someone who is innocent are they?

No, because very important difference they are US citizens. In general yes, it is hard enough to get cops to stop eating donuts at the local coffee shop let alone create extra work for themselves. Sure mistakes are made, but they are not in any way shape or form many.


[edit on 1-10-2004 by keholmes]

.
Most of the guys there were turned in for the $5000.00 reward money, which must be a fortune in Afghanistan. They have virtually nothing to do with Al-Qaeda. And the FOOLS in American Intelligence [note: oxymoron] are trying to get blood from turnips.

SCORE THREE FOR THE IRAQ DISASTER MASTER
.

Any evidence or reports to back up this reward only turnin claim?

American POW camps in the States during WW2 did more than just hold Nazis, they turned a lot of prisoners over to the ideology of America. Lots wanted to settle in this country permanantly when the war was over.

I wonder what's best for detainment, the stick or the carrot?

These terrorists are not US citizens, they are enemy combatants therefore the defintion of murder does not apply to them. They are they enemy in a war and therefore were promptly executed. There is nothing wrong with that and I dont understand why we are not doing more of it. These people are not US citizens but terrorists and have no rights.

Originally posted by slank
.
The US governement under this administration has simply run amuck.
In their hysteria about terrorism they have trampled the very freedoms the terrorists envy and wish to take from us.
The fact of the matter is this administration has no respect for human lives or rights. The only people they care about are the CEO's of Expatriot American Corporations.
.

Terrorists deserve freedom? Give me a break. Put one bullet in the back of all their heads and let one loose. That person will promptly report back to his comrades that its not worth it.

[edit on 1-10-2004 by IBM]

Originally posted by Koka
Intrepid - Do you work in Military Corrections or Civil Corrections?

The mere existence of Guantanamo brings into question Human/Civil Rights issues, to believe there just being detained for their own good is a might naive.

Civil, in Canada too I might add. PC is put in place for inmates that may come to harm by other inmates.

On another note, to other members, let's kepp the language on the level that ATS deserves please.

Originally posted by IBM

Terrorists deserve freedom? Give me a break. Put one bullet in the back of all their heads and let one loose. That person will promptly report back to his comrades that its not worth it.

That type of attitude is just a means of removing label of human being and causing mass slaughter. Regardless of nationality or accusations, people deserve trial to determine guilt or innocence. Using label of terrorist, infidel, etc., is how you get people to dehumanize enemy, and eventually enemy is simply anyone who opposes you. This kind of system that removes all laws eventually destroys itself in all cases - Nazism, Stalinism, Maoism, McArthism, etc. Think about it.

Originally posted by Nygdan
Any evidence or reports to back up this reward only turnin claim?

Evidence....the Kool-Aid crew from the left don't need no stinking evidence.

Originally posted by keholmes
is he partially pregnant too?

Guantanamo is not part of the justice system so one has nothing to do with the other. First Guantanamo is a military base and is not US soil that is why they are there. Second, they are not US citizens and should not be afforded the protections of the system they are trying to destroy, just as POWs are treated differently than civil criminals.

No, because very important difference they are US citizens. In general yes, it is hard enough to get cops to stop eating donuts at the local coffee shop let alone create extra work for themselves. Sure mistakes are made, but they are not in any way shape or form many.

They aren't POWs, are they, if they were POWs they would be afforded certain rights under the Geneva convention, but the US does very little to compromise with the global community these days.

Well, as long as it doesn't affect your good self, I assume the US is well within it's right s to hold people for 3 yrs without charge. It's not like the US went to Afghanistan or Iraq for the good of the local people.

kok,

no they are not POWs read the convention for yourself. and which local people would you be referring to?

Originally posted by Koka
Well, as long as it doesn't affect your good self, I assume the US is well within it's right s to hold people for 3 yrs without charge. It's not like the US went to Afghanistan or Iraq for the good of the local people.

How would you like it if you were held in a cage for three years with no charges, no rights, no access to counsel, no hope of getting out. I don't think you'd be so smug. Empathy - use it. If you cannot charge a person with a crime, you must release them. If you are retaining them for information, you cannot treat them like dogs. If an individual is holding information and you torture them, they will tell you anything you want to hear but not necessarily the truth. Human resolve is greater than physical pain and the act of torture reinforces the informants opinion of his captors being the enemy. If you capture a foot soldier in a war, the information he can give you is good for minutes or hours, or a day at most. Are all those guys in Guantanamo foot soldiers, or leaders? If they are foot soldiers, their information potential is long gone. If they are leaders, charge them and try them. There's no reason to keep people detained indefinitely.