Subscribe to Common Dreams News Updates
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
Guantánamo 'Suicides' Were at Secret 'Black' Site
Three Guantánamo Bay detainees whose deaths were ruled to be suicides in 2006 were taken to a secret site on the island hours before their deaths, it has been claimed.
A report in Harper's magazine said the deaths may have occurred at a previously undisclosed facility a mile or so from the main prison complex.
Detainess in Guantánamo Bay (Photo: REUTERS) Prison guards said they knew of the existence of the "black" site and saw three detainees removed from Camp Delta several hours before the deaths were reported.
Those who knew of the facility referred to it as "Camp No" Army Sgt Joe Hickman told the magazine. He said anyone who asked if the black site existed would be told, "No, it doesn't".
At a 7am meeting on June 10, 2006, with 50 or so soldiers and sailors, a commander said the three men had died by swallowing rags, causing them to choke to death.
According to the magazine, they went on to say the media would be told the three prisoners had committed suicide by hanging themselves in their cells, according to Scott Horton, the article's author and a lawyer who has worked on detainee issues.
Admiral Harry Harris, then commander of the base, declared the deaths "suicides" and said the men had killed themselves as a political gesture. "I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us."
The account, based mainly on interviews with former guards at the US prison on Cuba, suggested the US government was covering up details of what precisely happened in the hours before the deaths.
President Barack Obama has pledged to close the prison, in part because of the damage its reputation for abuses has done to America's image. But difficulties with resettling the majority of the remaining 215 prisoners overseas mean he will miss his own deadline of this Friday.
The three Guantánamo detainees who died the night of June 9, 2006 were Salah Ahmed Al-Salami, 37, of Yemen; Mani Shaman Al-Utaybi, 30, of Saudi Arabia; and Yasser Talal Al-Zahrani, 22, of Saudi Arabia.
In an earlier report into the deaths, the US Naval Criminal Investigative Service found that the men, who were in separate cells, had made nooses out of sheets and T-shirts but somehow fastened them to an eight-foot high mesh wall. They had also somehow bound their own hands, as well as having extra sheets to hang in front of their cell door windows.
Mr Horton claims the report was littered with holes and contradictions, such as the fact that normal Guantánamo conditions do not allow prisoners large amounts of linen.
Other guards have previously spoken or written about their shame at what they witnessed or participated in at the detention centre.
- Posted in
21 Comments so far
Show AllAmen! We must demand a truly independent investigator. I nominate Mr. Fitzgerald. And do not allow Mr. Obama to "look only forward" or claim that the DOJ has no authority to investigate the CIA or the armed forces.
Don't forget the recent CD article on prison rape. Once you're in, you have absolutely no rights, even to personal security. Many years ago, when I faced a felony charge (luckily I was found not guilty) I carried a suicide dose with me at all times. There may be some prison officials who are motivated by necessity, it's the only job in town, most are power freaks with a definite sadistic streak. Any one who's had any experience with the US penal system know the thugs are tools for the system.
These are homocides not suicides. Is murder 'off the table' like impeachment was?
Excellent question. I am passing it on, along with the article, to my own "representative", none other than Nancy "impeachment is off the table" Pelosi.
Please let us know when and how Pelosi responds.
Do you think she'll put impeachment back on the table?
· Yr Obd't Servant
One has to wonder how many other black,covert torture sites the military has around the world at its 700 military bases. They use the canard that it would jeopardize national security to divulge these sites. Well murder and torture of detainees is illegal and covering it up and using the tired and mendacious red herring of national security just makes one want to puke. Its not our security, but their security they are worried about!
"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!". I can't remember the name of that movie, but that's what I want to do right now. The only thing I'm afraid of is that some drone might be going by...
i think you mean 'network' starring peter finch...............
'swallowing rags'...............how bizarre.
Who knew you could commit asymmetrical warfare to attack the United States by tying your hands behind your back and swallowing rags and then defying the body's automatic gag reflex so that you could suffocate and die?
People who hate our freedoms enough to do this should receive the death penalty.
This is old news about these clever terrorists waging asymmetric warfare by hanging themselves while their hands were bound.
Nothing to see here...move along.
I hate to think there is anyone who is surprised by this revelation. However, there is any easy way to put out a fire- remove the fuel. Since it requires a lot of money (our tax money) to do these things, if a LOT of us stopped paying our taxes at the same time, it would seriously cripple the government's ability to wage terror and crime on our behalf. Of course, that means we have to let go of fantasy island life of luxury goals, and realize we'll be living a very frugal lifestyle...assuming you stop paying taxes by reducing your income below taxable levels.
OH NO!
You mean to say that the torturing, murdering USA is also a LIAR?
Give this story legs.
Contact your local media outlets and tell them that you want to know more.
FREE AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY (DIRECT) DEMOCRACY
Murder is murder is murder. If we must make examples of Gilbert Arenas and Michael Vick, can we ignore these blackops?
Vote them all out and there is no way ANY and I mean any of our "elected" people did not know about this blatant murder spree!How can any fed. judicial personnel go into a courtroom with a straight face and send anybody to jail when the big guys who we,pretty much, know are guilty are never going to even be brought up on charges?Has anyone said they "had no idea"?Tony
Why the need
for a black site at all, if not to cover-up the trail of the perpetraitors
of the deed?
There should be a complete investigation into everything that the Bush Administration has done regarding capturing foreign Muslims that ended up in Guantanamo and selective prosecutions of U.S. Muslim citizens in America. The Bush Administration has gotten away with mass murder and unjust imprisonments, cruel and unusual punishment while in office. But they should not be allowed to keep the victims, of all this undemocratic politics and unconstitutional rulings, suffering from their cruel and unusual punishment.Get the investigation started and maybe the terrorist will realize that America is not the Great Satan.
And why is Obama trying to prevent the truth from coming out? The institutions are working very hard to bury this. It has to be CIA and/or their contracted torturers (Blackwater?). Our Justice Dept is hoping this will go away if they ignore it long enough.
Here is another example of "change we can believe in." Once in power, they all begin to protect the military/industrial/congressional complex. It's what government does.
Re: 'The US in a 'nut barrel' - I mean 'in a nutshell.'
From: WW II 'saved the world' hero's...
To: Murderous cut thoat nation of morphed Gestapo killers and financiers of Jewish terrorism.
You've come a long way baby!!!!!!
'Kill 'em all Taliban/Hezbollah - Let their G-d sort them out.' :)
TheAZCowBoy
Tombstone, AZ.