'Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization.' -- Eugene V. Debs

Monday, June 12, 2006

UPDATE: One of the Guantanamo Suicides Was Not Told About Impending Release 

Remember how the US military confidently informed us after the three suicides that it believed that all three suicides were associated with terrorist organizations or the Taliban>? It was a carefully crafted statement designed to create the impression that the detainees were involved in violent activities, or the support of them, without actually really saying so, an attempt to persuade the American public that their indefinite detention was justified.

Apparently, we can state with certainly that such a characterization is untrue, at least in respect to one of the victims:

One of the three men who committed suicide at the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay was due to be released - but did not know it, says a US lawyer. Mark Denbeaux, who represents some of the foreign detainees said the man was among 141 prisoners due to be released. He said the prisoner was not told because US officials had not decided which country he would be sent to. . . . The Pentagon named the prisoner who had been recommended for transfer as 30-year-old Saudi Arabian Mani Shaman Turki al-Habardi Al-Utaybi.

Denbeaux elaborated further:

Professor Denbeaux told the BBC World Service that the feeling among detainees at the Cuba camp was one of hopelessness. "These people are told they'll be 50 by the time they get out, that they have no hope of getting out. They've been denied a hearing, they have no chance to be released," he said. He said US policy was to refuse to tell prisoners they were due to be released until a location had been found.

Utaybi had been declared a "safe person, free to be released" but the US needed a country to send him to, Professor Denbeaux said. His despair was great enough and in his ignorance he went and killed himself," he said.

In death, the other two detainees

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