[Marxism] U.S. Lies About Mass Suicide Attempt at Guantanamo

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

That prisoners at Guantanamo attempted suicide is not a surprise. Its
timing may be relative to the Abu Ghraib story (assuming they even
learned of it), changed conditions at Gitmo, and the realization that
they might be there for many years. An additional factor may have been
the prisoners realization that Captain James Lee's tour was coming to
an end and thus that they were losing a sympathetic Muslim chaplain.

It took place shortly before Captain Yee was due to return to the
states and before he was arrested in September. Although the Seattle
Times's articles make no reference to this event, it seems to me that
the Army may have feared that Captain Yee might reveal conditions at
the prison camp, including the numerous suicide attempts.

However, what strikes me most about this article is that at first the
government (Military?) denied the mass suicide attempt, and then
acknowledged it once they were shown to be liars.

Members of the media will sometimes snap back. I would guess that those
who put on the "pressure" will lose their Gitmo credentials.

So how can anyone accept anything that the officials say? As they say
in Law and Order: "Are you lying now or were you lying then?"

+++++
A reminder that the series on Captain James Yee is completed.
Go to http://makeashorterlink.com/?U2246233A

Brian Shannon
_______________

Mass suicide attempt at Camp Delta
By Francis Harris in Washington
(Filed: 25/01/2005)

Twenty-three al-Qa'eda suspects tried to hang or strangle themselves at
the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay during a mass protest in 2003, the
Pentagon admitted yesterday. The apparently co-ordinated action
occurred at Camp Delta over nine days in August 2003, but did not
result in any deaths.
        
On one day alone, Aug 22, ten men tried to hang or strangle themselves
with their clothing. It was not clear if any of the four British
detainees were involved. Two protesters were taken to hospital and
later received psychiatric treatment.

The suicide attempts came to light after they were mentioned casually
during a camp visit earlier this month by three US journalists, but
officials issued an immediate denial. However, under media pressure the
US Southern Command, which has authority over Camp Delta, confirmed the
reports. FULL AT http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y2E21215A
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