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Home Front: WoT
Dawn (Yawn) Guantanamo: the level of hell Dante forgot
2004-12-18
America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between. - Oscar Wilde

In Camp X-Ray, my cage was right next to a kennel housing an Alsatian dog. He had a wooden house with air conditioning and green grass to exercise on. I said to the guards, 'I want his rights,' and they replied, 'That dog is member of the US army'." This is Jamal al-Harith 's painful recollection of his time at Guantanamo Bay, as narrated by him to the Daily Mirror. Released in March this year, al-Harith is one of four British men, former inmates at Guantanamo, currently suing the US government for torture and human rights violations. The other three are Shafiq Rasul, Asif Iqbal and Rhuhel Ahmed. They filed the suit in Washington DC. It names American Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers, among others, as defendants. The suit is backed by the New York based Centre for Constitutional Rights and it is filed under the Alien Tort Claims Act, Geneva Conventions and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
AKA "The Usual Suspects"...
The plaintiffs allege that they were arbitrarily detained and underwent harrowing torture and abuse; indeed the treatment meted out to them by the American forces was in contravention of all conventions on military conduct, the treatment of prisoners of war and universal human rights in general to which the US has been a very enthusiastic signatory.
"Somebody tol' us they wuz gonna cut our heads off! That's, like, barbaric!"
This leaves the Americans in no position to speak of Geneva Conventions, or any other convention for that matter, when speaking of the rights that are due to their servicemen taken prisoner.
Sure it does. Even if there were violations, one side's violations don't justify violations on the other side — except under certain circumstances.
Posted by:tipper

#13  I'm with CyberSarge - the double standard is absolutely vile. We're supposed to treat these prisoners with kid gloves, because they're moose-limbs. Yet they can get away with anything they wish to do because - yep, you guessed it - they're moose-limbs. The Quran says it's okay to lie and deceive your enemies, to do anything you wish to them, because you're moose-limbs. I think it's time we accepted the same capabilities in dealing with these enemies of our peace.

In my latest Sci-fi novel, I have a punishment I think is perfect for moose-limbs: hang the enemy by his wrists from an iron ring in the center of the local market, with their arms held above their heads and their toes barely touching the ground. If they survive three days, they're released. If not, I guess they were guilty. Works for me.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2004-12-18 4:00:48 PM  

#12  I forgot to add that this story has yet to break on DU. Now if that LLL place hasn't posted ths story, that should tell you something about the validity.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2004-12-18 12:54:14 PM  

#11  Every time i hear about the 'torture' at Gitmo I almost shed a tear! Loud music, lack of sleep, and whores running around! Man I miss going on spring break! These guys were oibvisouly part of some terrorists organization or perhaps they got lost on the way to the Mosque and ended up in Afghanistan? Also I love the indignation from AI with regard to the prisoners being held in Gitmo, but not a word on the beheading or bombing of civilians by terrorists in Iraq. No mention of the lockup of opposition in Cuba. Excuse my language but FUCK AI and FUCK these former prisoners. I will take any and all bets on wether President Bush will ever send these four a dime.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2004-12-18 12:51:14 PM  

#10  As a US taxpayer, I have mixed emotions. On one hand, I am pleased to see that my tax dollars are going to a worthy cause - that is, keeping FRIGGIN TERRORISTS on ice. But - I am concerned about the fact that it appears that we are wasting tax dollars by feeding these scumbags enough calories to allow them to still have energy to file lawsuits after being released.

I would much prefer that they be so "hobbled" by caloric deprivation, combined with high "boulder to gravel" conversion effort, that they could not remember their names upon release. Oh - and then - I would heartily endorse that they should FRIGGIN' swim home from Cuba.

Or - at least send them a MONSTROUS bill for the free room and board over three years.

Heh, heh, heh ...........
Posted by: Lone Ranger   2004-12-18 11:55:31 AM  

#9  Comparing American servicewomen to whores - CHECK
Mentioning the Nazis in comparison to America - CHECK
Finding some guy to blabber about alleged violations of their rights without presenting any evidence other than "I was told that...." - CHECK
Some mope from a once-respected NGO (in this case, Amnesty Int'l) - CHECK
Dog, obviously there for sinister purposes - CHECK
I would have given them a check for mention of blood, but they forgot the obligatory "Jews needing it for making matzoh" remark.
But he should get extra credit for the sincere tone when he explains that the inmates of Gitmo have absolutely no idea why they are there.
Overall, I give this article a c+.
Posted by: Desert Blondie   2004-12-18 11:14:08 AM  

#8  "Jamal, a thirty-seven year father of three children and a convert to Islam, was on a visit to Pakistan to learn more about Islam when he decided to travel to Turkey by road"

Well there ya go, Jamal should have stayed with the rest of the "Disney Presents Islam" tourgroup! He probably still had his Mouse-ears on when they picked him up.

Still, we HAVE made mistakes downthere. For example, when Jamal said "my cage was right next to a kennel housing an Alsatian dog. He had a wooden house with air conditioning and green grass to exercise on. I said to the guards, ’I want his rights,’" the guards SHOULD have replied "OK, the dog would love some company!"...and then pitched his ass in the kennel.

What Arabic for "Nice puppy"?
Posted by: Justrand   2004-12-18 10:10:05 AM  

#7  LOL - tu can always be counted on to cut to the chase...
Posted by: Frank G   2004-12-18 9:56:39 AM  

#6  Here's an idea. From now on take these assholes behind the nearest building and shoot them in the fuckin head.
Posted by: tu3031   2004-12-18 9:50:05 AM  

#5  This article is a perfect sumation of why the Democrats lost the last election and why they will eventually whiter and die on the vine.

They've always talked appeasement and acted all superior about it, but after 911, the rest of us, who were once just annoyed by their stupidity, tell them to shut up and sit down. And all's that's left are the "organizers" who try to promote this stuff, with their little band of losers desperate to be in a parade, any parade....look at me! look at me!!
Posted by: 2b   2004-12-18 9:43:59 AM  

#4  I hope Gitmo scares the bejebus out these assholes. Use it to interrogate them.

"Wanna go to Gitmo?"
"Nnnnnoooooooooo....!"
Posted by: Frank G   2004-12-18 9:26:25 AM  

#3  What a bunch of bullshit. I know someone down there and I was told that most of those detainees are the most vile and reprehensible sorts on 2 legs. They actually had to install plexy glass between the guards and the detainees because of all of the urine and fecal matter being thrown at them.
It seems that a lot of the interegators are women, and I've been told that they are as nasty as they are ugly. Good.
Those murderers deserve much worse treatment than they are recieving, besides if one of our guys get caught by these animals over there, who doubts that we would see a beheading video?

Check out this link: http://www.cageprisoners.com/
Its anti-American but it does have a large gallery of photos link from Gitmo on the left side.
Posted by: JerseyMike   2004-12-18 9:00:30 AM  

#2  Oh yes we have ton of "american whores" lined up to serve god and country. When ever I read this I stop. Anything that follows is total crap. I guess only muslims could belive such total horse shit. To practice Islam one must be full blown misogynist apperently. Only a misogynist could make such claims or believe them or expect others would.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2004-12-18 8:27:42 AM  

#1  Goodness gracious me! What a tale it is, to be sure.
Posted by: trailing wife   2004-12-18 7:57:26 AM  

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