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| Lives of Guantanamo Hunger-Striking Prisoners in Danger |
| 2005-10-04 |
| Update: Horrors! Prensa Latina weighs in, muchachos. And they ain't happy... Washington, Oct 3 (Prensa Latina) The lives of hunger-striking prisoners continue in danger for the third consecutive week at the US prison at Guantanamo Naval Base, according to inmates at the facility. There's a reliable source. So what's taking them so long? The strike, involving more than 200 inmates protesting their judicial limbo and their treatment by US soldiers, entered its ninth week on Monday. I thought it was the third week? Oh, okay. Their lives have been in danger for three weeks. The first six weeks must've been, like, dieting. Consistent with reports released by Newsday magazine, the "thinned-down prisoners are coughing up blood or falling unconscious on the floor," as the facility's military hospital " is inundated with hunger strikers, who are being force-fed through nasal catheters." Well it is a hunger strike, folks. What did you think was gonna happen? "We are in the throes of slow death here," prisoner of British origin Omar Deghayes denounced as he recalled that most of these people, who were detained in the wake of the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, have yet to be charged with any crime. Maonolo! My violin! Quickly! "I don't understand what the US is doing," Deghayes wrote in one of the reports about the strike, which he secretly handed over to his London-based lawyer. Maybe "London-based lawyer" ought not be allowed to see him anymore for violating some agreements here? In his hand-written testimonies, the prisoner recalls that "this is the fourth year in prison although no charges have been filed, and we lack medicine, products or conditions to wash, and are without sun." Couple of months ago they were bitching about being outside all the time. Deghayes described how he was punched in the eye by a soldier, and said that many prisoners "are falling down and showing symptoms of diseases." Well then...HELLO! Eat something maybe? If authorities here fail to do something quickly to improve conditions, "the number of prisoners on hunger strike will get out of hand," he predicted. Wow. It's Jihadi Nostrodamus... The Pentagon claims there were 131 inmates involved in the protest by mid-September, with only 20 having to be force-fed, but it has not permitted families, independent doctors or lawyers to visit or telephone the detainees, arguing it is a national security issue. The Doctors for Human Rights organization insists on making an independent diagnosis of the effects of the hunger strike, because the US Medical Association bans feeding striking inmates by force. Oh-oh. Guess we'll have to stop then. Don't want to piss the US Medical Association. More than 500 people, tagged as enemy combatants -a term used by Washington to hold them without legal assistance-, are under US custody at the Guantanamo facility, a territory illegally occupied by the US against the will of the Island's authorities and people. Hmmmm? Wonder who signs the checks at Prensa Latina? Got an answer for that one, El Jefe? |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #25 A few years ago out here in the People's Republic of California, several Death Row inmates went on a hunger-strike. Then, as with THIS story, I was like: "what the fuck??" I absolutely CANNOT find a downside to this?!?!? |
| Posted by: Justrand 2005-10-04 23:38 |
| #24 But it's a very peaceful and painless way to go. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-10-04 20:45 |
| #23 a territory illegally occupied by the US against the will of the Island's authorities and people. Leased from Cuba; the U.S. sends a check every year. It's Castro's fault if'n he doesn't cash 'em. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-10-04 19:37 |
| #22 Hmmm, time to check AGAIN - nope, still don't care. |
| Posted by: DMFD 2005-10-04 19:35 |
| #21 Why feed at all, Steve? Make food and drink available and document it. If they die, they die by their own choice. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2005-10-04 19:19 |
| #20 *ahem* I think I specifically asked about force feeding jerked pork....none of this gruel crap |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-10-04 19:08 |
| #19 Questions, questions. Feeding prisoners on a hunger strike: a person who requires feeding can be handled several ways -- 1) a nasogastric tube. This is silastic, generally in diameter as big or slightly bigger than a pencil, and flexible. Goes into a nostril, back into the pharynx, down the esophagus, into the stomach and stays there. Lubricant (KY) and perhaps local anesthetic required. Used short-term. Problems: a) aspiration risk (getting food into the lungs after it gets to the stomach, due to vomiting), and b) uncomfortable. Has to be taped or held in the nose in some way, and the prisoner can pull it out. 2) a nasoduodenal tube. Silastic, very thin, with a tungsten or similar weight at the end. Inserted the same way as an NG tube, but it ends up in the small intestine (the weight carries it there). Placement is not guaranteed, but once in the small intestine it's easier to feed a person, and has a lower risk of aspiration. It's used for longer-term feeding. Problems a) may not get there, and you need an x-ray to prove it's there before you can use it b) easily clogs -- pull it out and start over. Has to be secured and can be pulled out. 3) a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube. Requires an upper GI endoscopy. The endoscopist gets the scope into the stomach (y'all know how s/he does that) and shines the light toward the abdominal wall. A second operator standing by the patient can see that light shining through the wall, and punctures (local anesthesia beforehand) through the wall with a probe attached to a feeding tube. The endoscopist then grabs the tube tip, now in the stomach, and places it in the first part of the small intestine. The second operator sutures the tube where it traverses the abdominal wall. This is great for extended feeding -- the tube is large bore so it won't clog, it's not in the nose so no irritation to the patient, the tip is in the small intestine so the aspiration risk is low, it's sutured in place so it doesn't accidentally fall out (though you can certainly tug hard and pull it out) and it's easy for nurse/family/guard to handle. But it requires more work, experienced personnel and has an operative risk (low but you have to account for it). 4) intravenous feeding. Generally done as a last resort or when we can't use a patient's bowel for feeding. Very expensive, requires frequent monitoring of blood work (I won't get into details), and requires, ideally, a 'central' IV catheter -- one whose tip is in a great central chest vein. That has a risk of placement, requirement for operator experience, etc. Experienced personnel who are specialists in nutrition are required. That's how you feed someone who can't or won't eat. Restraints are required for each modality when faced with a combative patient, and that has it's own problems. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2005-10-04 18:58 |
#18 The lives of hunger-striking prisoners continue in danger for the third consecutive weekThe only downside I can see is IT'S TAKING TOO DAMN LONG. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-10-04 18:04 |
| #17 Die faster please. Apologies from the UK for making you feed this ummah scum. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2005-10-04 17:55 |
| #16 His lawyer's a liar too: "someone who has been a resident of Britain for decades". The website says he moved to the UK in '86. That's not even two decades yet, and you have to subtract off his Pakistan and Gitmo time. The press wants us to think he's of British origin, which he is not, and his lawyer wants us to think he has been a resident of Britain for decades, which he has not. You can throw them all to the sharks. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2005-10-04 15:36 |
| #15 "the person in the video bears little resemblance to Omar" Well, that might be because they're pushing the clean-shaven version of Omar now, not the bearded Islamic version of Omar that they show on the front page of The Argus. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2005-10-04 15:28 |
| #14 Jeez. Everything happens to Omar... A gentle man opposed to violence Of course he is. They all are... Omar is "a gentle man, a very friendly, quiet, gentle man" according to his sister-in-law Einas Abolsain who has known him since he was young. Omar and his family left Libya for the UK in 1986 after his father was assassinated by Colonel Gaddafi's regime in 1980, and was granted refugee status in 1987. Mistaken identity In 2002 Omar was arrested by US authorities in Pakistan, and sent to Guantanamo bay, where he has suffered numerous human rights abuses. The only "evidence" for Omar's arrest appears to be a video allegedly showing Omar from the Spanish authorities, however experts have confirmed what is seemibgly apparent, that the person in the video bears little resemblance to Omar. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-10-04 15:17 |
| #13 On related news, military budget shows slight savings in the third quarter. Pentagon urges continued belt tightening. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2005-10-04 15:13 |
| #12 "prisoner of British origin Omar Deghayes" Well not exactly... Born in Libya. UK refugee status. Arrested in Pakistan. Not a British national (as noted in Foreign & Commonwealth Office letter). All per http://www.save-omar.org.uk/." ************ I'll be sure to get my tin can and go out and about getting a collection for Omar. |
| Posted by: The Happy Fliegerabwehrkanonen 2005-10-04 15:07 |
| #11 "prisoner of British origin Omar Deghayes" Well not exactly... Born in Libya. UK refugee status. Arrested in Pakistan. Not a British national (as noted in Foreign & Commonwealth Office letter). All per http://www.save-omar.org.uk/. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2005-10-04 14:58 |
| #10 Lives of Guantanamo Hunger-Striking Prisoners in Danger So? At least they won't get tortured by those pesky US interrogators. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2005-10-04 14:34 |
| #9 hey happy F! In the Philippines, in the Intermuros (old Spanish Fortress in Manila - Fort Santiago?) there are underground dungeons. The [imperial] Japanese Army (and probably the spanards before them) used to house prisoners there during the occupation. Wasn't a problem until a real-high tide when the dungeons would flood (floor to ceiling). The Japanese would often omit the evacuation of troublesome prisoners... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-10-04 14:14 |
| #8 Let them starve to a samba beat. |
| Posted by: ed 2005-10-04 13:43 |
| #7 Ah, legal limbo! I hate it whan you have to bend over really far in order to fit under that pole... |
| Posted by: Ulitch Shutch7451 2005-10-04 13:38 |
| #6 Hey Cyber Sarge: I think there's a castle in old Habana, Cuba that has a sink-hole in it where the Spaniards and later Batista used to drop the occasional P.I.A. trouble-maker into. The criminal and or P.I.A. individual would drop down a concrete chute and into shark infested waters. Not a bad way to go for the Gitmo crowd. Green Peace would love it as the sharkies will receive a steady diet of human flesh. |
| Posted by: The Happy Fliegerabwehrkanonen 2005-10-04 13:15 |
| #5 hmmmm - gotta be tough to nasally force feed jerked pork |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-10-04 13:14 |
| #4 "The lives of hunger-striking prisoners continue in danger for the third consecutive week at the US prison at Guantanamo Naval Base, according to inmates at the facility." Uhhh ... when you choose not to eat, after a while, say about four weeks or so, isn't it reasonable to expect all kinds of health problems? The highlighted comments are awesome! |
| Posted by: The Happy Fliegerabwehrkanonen 2005-10-04 13:11 |
| #3 Man it was hard to hold back the river of tears I was crying while reading this. Why doesn't the U.S. just end their suffering and just let them die. Allah would be happy, they would be happy, we would be happy, and is there a downside? |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2005-10-04 13:01 |
| #2 force-fed through nasal catheters Dr. Steve, Is that how you'd do it? |
| Posted by: Unomose Griter8165 2005-10-04 12:57 |
| #1 "Manolo...get me a snack of orange glazed chicken and rice pilaf...there should be plenty of it around" |
| Posted by: Warthog 2005-10-04 12:25 |