The Guantanamo Files, Pt. II

Note: When I wrote my last piece about the NYTime’s “Guantanamo Files,” I originally referred to the men incarcerated there as “detainees.” That was wrong. These men are human beings and deserve to be referred to as human beings. ‘Detainees’ is a euphemism designed to de-humanize them. I will not participate in removing their humanity.

The 'Wikileak' of data concerning the men detained at Gitmo continues to lead in the New York Times.

There are three articles in the Times: As Acts of War or Despair, Suicides Rattle a Prison; Libyan, Once a Detainee, Is Now a U.S. Ally of Sorts; and Classified Files Offer New Insights Into Detainees.

These follow up pieces reinforce the reality that the jailers at Gitmo are being ‘handled’ by the men incarcerated there and that the guards don’t have a very good read on how to relate to the men detained there. It seems that guesses and conjecture substitute for logic, reason, compassion and competence. The Gitmo portrayed in these articles appear to describe a series of personal struggles between the guards and the men. A game, if you will, with the government on the one side and the incarcerated men on the other. And, according to these articles, the government isn’t necessarily coming out on top.

As Sun Tzu said in the Art of War, numerical superiority does not always convey an advantage.

In the first article, As Acts of War or Despair, Suicides Rattle a Prison, the records show that the government sees suicide attempts as a way for the men to fight back. One unidentified military official described suicide as “an act of asymmetric warfare waged against us.”

This statement is incredibly egocentric. It shows the inability of the government to view these men, and what they did, in terms other than themselves. The government sees everything that happens in Gitmo as happening to them. This is a horrific reflection of how the incarcerated men are viewed by the government. To the government, the act of taking one’s life seen as an attack on the government. And not the death of a fellow human being.

This is the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard.

In Libyan, Once a Detainee, Is Now a U.S. Ally of Sorts, the times describes how Abu Sufian Ibrahim Ahmed Hamuda Bin Qumu  had been incarcerated at Gitmo before he was released to Libya.[1] And how the US government is now supporting Qumu’s fight against Libyan leader, daffy duck.

The ‘information’ that was being use to keep Mr. Qumu at Gitmo came from the Libyan government.

Now, it seems that the adage, “An enemy of my enemy is my friend” applies to Mr. Qumu. It’s amazing how quickly the chairs are moved around the table when it becomes expedient to manipulate a former ‘enemy’ to act against a new 'enemy,' (who, until a very short time ago, was our 'friend').

In Lives in An American Limbo, the Times once again looks at the ways the government decided who was a ‘bad guy’ and who was a ‘badder bad guy.’ It describes how the game to obtain ‘evidence’ that can justify holding the men longer has become a game of gossip. 

This makes sense. The incarcerated men have been isolated from the rest of the world for up to six years. It seems likely most of the men have been investigated to death. There really wouldn’t be any new tactical information to be had from men who haven’t seen the light of day for that many years. So, the government is reduced to listening to prison gossip, accusations, counter-accusations and tales told for personal gain[2]. 

The article also examines the data that was used to determine whether a man was considered enough of a threat to send them to Guantanamo. After reading the article, let’s just say, these decisions were made on ‘evidence’ so flimsy, it was transparent.

[1] In 2005, Qumu was described as  a “medium to high risk, as he is likely to pose a threat to the U.S., its interests and allies.”

[2] In such a situation, it is easy to see where the incarcerated men have a distinct advantage over their captors. Once the men learn the system, they can game it. In one such instance, a man was put in a cell next to another man he did not like. The first man realized he would be moved, if he attempted suicide. So, he did. And gamed his way out of a situation that he didn’t want to be in. It seems, within the tightly enclosed ‘society’ of the prison at Guantanamo, the advent of this type of manipulation was inevitable. Particularly given the government's deep desire to glean any intelligence from the incarcerated men. And their willingness to listen to sad stories, tales of glory and just plain fabrications.