Three detainees at Guantanamo Bay apparently committed suicide

[warpedskydiver 0]

A detainee looks into the window of a cell at Camp 4 inside of the maximum security prison Camp...
U.S.: 3 Guantanamo Inmates Commit Suicide
Saturday, June 10, 2006 3:45 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By JENNIFER LOVEN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three detainees at Guantanamo Bay apparently committed suicide amid protests of the U.S. military prison by inmates, the Defense Department said Saturday. They were the first reported deaths at the detention center where suspected terrorists have been held for as long as 4 1/2 years.

Two men from Saudi Arabia and one from Yemen were found "unresponsive and not breathing in their cells" early Saturday, according to a statement from the Miami-based U.S. Southern Command, which has jurisdiction over the prison. Attempts were made to revive the prisoners, but failed.

The United States is holding about 460 men on suspicion of links to al-Qaida and the Taliban at Guantanamo Bay, which has become a sore subject between President Bush and U.S. allies who otherwise are staunch supporters of his policies.

The Pentagon scheduled a briefing for later Saturday.

Bush, spending the weekend at Camp David, was notified of the incident. The State Department was consulting with the governments of the home countries of the three prisoners, whose names were not being released.

The military said in its statement that "all lifesaving measures had been exhausted" in the attempt to revive the detainees. The remains were being treated "with the utmost respect," an issue important to Muslims. A cultural adviser was assisting the military.

Though the military termed the deaths suicides, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service was investigating to establish the official cause and manner of death.

A U.N. panel said May 19 that holding detainees indefinitely at Guantanamo violated the world's ban on torture. The panel said the United States should close the detention center.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and British Attorney General Lord Goldsmith are among those who also recently have urged the United States to close the prison.

On Friday, after the prison came up during a meeting with Fogh Rasmussen at Camp David, Bush said his goal is to do just that.

"We would like to end the Guantanamo — we'd like it to be empty," Bush said. But he added: "There are some that, if put out on the streets, would create grave harm to American citizens and other citizens of the world. And, therefore, I believe they ought to be tried in courts here in the United States."

Bush said his administration was waiting for the Supreme Court to rule whether he overstepped his authority in ordering the detainees to be tried by U.S. military tribunals. "We're waiting on our Supreme Court to act," he said.

Moazzam Begg, 37, a British Muslim who spent three years in U.S. detention, including two years at Guantanamo before being released in 2005, told The Associated Press, "We all expected something like this but were not prepared. It's just awful. I hope the Bush administration will finally see this is wrong."

There have been increasing displays of defiance from Guantanamo Bay prisoners, who have been held for up to 4 1/2 years with many claiming their innocence.

Until now, Guantanamo officials have said there have been 41 suicide attempts by 25 detainees and no deaths since the U.S. began taking prisoners to the base in January 2002. Defense lawyers contend the number of suicide attempts is higher.

Those held at Guantanamo "have this incredible level of despair that they will never get justice. And now they're gone. And they died without ever having seen a court," Barbara Olshansky of the Center for Constitutional Rights said in a telephone interview from New York. Her group represents about 300 Guantanamo detainees.

She appealed to the administration "for immediate action to do the right thing. They should be taken to court or released. I don't think this country wants the stain of injustice on it for many years to come."

On May 18, in one of the prison's most violent incidents, a detainee staged a suicide attempt to lure guards into a cellblock where they were attacked by prisoners armed with makeshift weapons, the military said. Earlier that day, two detainees overdosed on antidepressants they collected from other detainees and hoarded in their cells. The men have since recovered.

There also has been a hunger strike among detainees since August. The number of inmates refusing food dropped to 18 by last weekend from a high of 131. The military has at times used aggressive force-feeding methods, including a restraint chair. Force-feeding is performed through tubes inserted into the nose.

Physicians for Human Rights has called on the United States to halt the "brutal and inhumane force-feeding tactics." U.S. officials have said the measures are "safe and humane" and have been used in American civilian prisons

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Well they aren't being executed and after opposing us on the field of battle I hope they realize they are lucky not to have been killed summarily.

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[miked10270 0]

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Well they aren't being executed and after opposing us on the field of battle I hope they realize they are lucky not to have been killed summarily.

Are they guilty? What of? When was the trial?

I suppose "Cause of Death: Suicide." Sounds a lot better than "Cause of Death: OLD AGE!"

Waiting for FOUR AND A HALF YEARS for trial is wholly unacceptable. The more so when "some" are summarily released while others are kept, based only on nationality & the strength of plea by their native country's leaders!

Mike.

Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable.

Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

[Royd 0]

Let's look on the bright side. That's three less suicide bombers on the streets of Baghdad, who would gladly take as many as possible with them.

[narcimund 0]

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Let's look on the bright side. That's three less suicide bombers on the streets of Baghdad, who would gladly take as many as possible with them.

There's lots of bright sides. Now there are three fewer embarassing "disappeared" who the US hasn't found enough evidence against to convince a jury of guilt.

And of course you're right. After 4 1/2 years of this treatment, I'd be surprised if all 450 of them wouldn't happily turn violent against the US regardless of their innocence or guilt at the beginning.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[Dancergirl 0]

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Let's look on the bright side. That's three less suicide bombers on the streets of Baghdad, who would gladly take as many as possible with them.

if most of the "detainees" wern't suicide bombers when they went in, they certainly will be when they come out... well done america

[Jasmin 0]

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Let's look on the bright side. That's three less suicide bombers on the streets of Baghdad

Hmmm America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, where you are innocent until proven guilty?

xj

"I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

[kenneth21441 0]

I thought that suicide was against the Koran.

But so is crashing into a building or straping on a jacket with some TNT.


While I feel sorry that they had to go this way I sure wished they had taken out a few others of their beliefs with them. So that way they all can go to that paradise that they think is so nice.

It just makes me made when our policy is put the test everytime we try to take care of business. When it was the US who allowed these powers to stay in power, not including the Saudi's who let these powers also stay.

Why did Bin Lindians mom got to visit him with no questions asked or not even a tracking ???

Why did we just fire off two rockets when they attacked our embassey in Africa in 1999??

So with that put all on a plan and drive into there own sites. Ideal of Mecca comes to mind, Just 46Km from Jiddah.

Suicide in this way saves lives.

Kenneth Potter
FAA Senior Parachute Rigger
Tactical Delivery Instructor (Jeddah, KSA)
FFL Gunsmith

[kallend 1,683]

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I thought that suicide was against the Koran.

But so is crashing into a building or straping on a jacket with some TNT.


While I feel sorry that they had to go this way I sure wished they had taken out a few others of their beliefs with them. So that way they all can go to that paradise that they think is so nice.

It just makes me made when our policy is put the test everytime we try to take care of business. When it was the US who allowed these powers to stay in power, not including the Saudi's who let these powers also stay.



So with that put all on a plan and drive into there own sites. Ideal of Mecca comes to mind, Just 46Km from Jiddah.

Suicide in this way saves lives.

Nice to see another American who understands the basic NewAmerican values of guilt by association, imprisonment without trial or charge, and guilty until proven innocent.

"Why are we proud? We are proud, first of all, because from the beginning of this nation, a man can walk upright, no matter who he is, or who she is. He can walk upright and meet his friend or his enemy; and he does not feel that because that enemy may be in a position of great power that he can be suddenly thrown in jail to rot there without charges and with no recourse to justice. We have the habaeus corpus act, and we respect it." Dwight D. Eisenhower.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[NelKel 0]

On Friday Bill Oriley of the FOX TV show The Factor, was in Cuba at the detention center. He was allowed open access to report on his findings. He Stated he was there because of the numours reports of mistreatment. The report and the pictures will be on his show Monday night.

Narcimund; U R right about that if they were not terriost before they are now, because of being locked up for 4-5 years. There fore I believe they should never be released, ever.

_________________________________________

Someone dies, someone says how stupid, someone says it was avoidable, someone says how to avoid it, someone calls them an idiot, someone proposes rule chan

[miked10270 0]

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Narcimund; U R right about that if they were not terriost before they are now, because of being locked up for 4-5 years. There fore I believe they should never be released, ever.

Good point! In fact, EXCELLENT point! Hold that thought. If they EVER get out they'll all be terrorists, America-Haters and suicide bombers. Despite the fact that none of them were ever actually suicide bombers before being captured, and that none of the ones released so far have subsequently become suicide bombers. THe fact is that they have all been indoctrinated to hate The USA.

It is our duty to destroy the people who made them into what they are. We should actively hunt the leaders of the groups who created these America-Hater-Terrorists and take them out. That's what we did to Zarqawi for making all those folks into suicide bombers and American-Killers in Iraq. We have to do the same thing to the folk who've spent 4 1/2 years creating all those suicide bombers & American Hater terrorists in Guantanamo. Don't we?...

Mike.

Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable.

Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

[Ian84 0]

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Waiting for FOUR AND A HALF YEARS for trial is wholly unacceptable. The more so when "some" are summarily released while others are kept, based only on nationality & the strength of plea by their native country's leaders!

You're right on the mark there. I don't understand how people can bang on about the "land of the free" while simultaneously supporting the indefinite detention of potentially innocent men, thousands of miles away from their homes and families.

Had these guys actually been found guilty of anything, then I wouldn't really care that they took their own lives/been killed. The fact is, they weren't. To me that is an absolute disgrace. It is hypocrisy beyond a joke.

This reminds me an awful lot of internment in Northern Ireland during the 70's. A lot of good that did.......

[mikkey 0]

The main "spin" that gets up my nose is the "caught on the battlefield" crap. Most of the detainees were arrested in Afghanistan and Pakistan post conflict, based on "information" - often provided by locals for rewards.

It has already been proven that many have been arrested due to bad intelligence (often because people "point" at them for money or personal revenge).

No doubt there are a many "bad" guys in Gitmo. But it makes you wonder why only 10 out of 450 have even been charged after 4 1/2 years.

Saw an interview with a former Bristish Gitmo detainee who was cleared, but only freed because he is British, who talked about the mental torture of being locked up without charge and no idea of how long you are going to sit there with no visitors and nearly no contact to the outside world. Especially if you are innocent. No wonder people are either doing stupid desperate acts like attacking guards or commit suicide.

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When people look like ants - pull. When ants look like people - pray.

[rushmc 18]

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Let's look on the bright side. That's three less suicide bombers on the streets of Baghdad, who would gladly take as many as possible with them.

if most of the "detainees" wern't suicide bombers when they went in, they certainly will be when they come out... well done america

I think I know who you are!!

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[kallend 1,683]

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Let's look on the bright side. That's three less suicide bombers on the streets of Baghdad, who would gladly take as many as possible with them.

if most of the "detainees" wern't suicide bombers when they went in, they certainly will be when they come out... well done america

I think I know who you are!!

Not Dick Cheney! We know his handle.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[skydyvr 0]

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I think I know who you are!!

Good catch! It's artistcalledian again.

He ought to vary his writing style a bit to avoid future detection.

Now we've got "intellectual" narcimund clamoring to get OUT of the forums, and expressed "non-intellectual" artistcalledian clamoring to get IN.

What a wacky place.

. . =(_8^(1)

[shropshire 0]

<< There fore I believe they should never be released, ever. >> - WTF - You've got to love the twisted logic in that statement.

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(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[narcimund 0]

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<< There fore I believe they should never be released, ever. >> - WTF - You've got to love the twisted logic in that statement.

Absolutely. I love NelKel because he's full of logic like that. The US government mostly ruined 400 people's lives (some, if not all of them innocent -- we'll never know how many) so now the right thing to do is continue to ruin the rest of their lives forever.

By the same logic, perhaps NelKel would say if he injured someone with his car, the right thing is to finish them off lest they get mad.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[nigel99 151]

What gets me about this is some of the comments coming out of the US military about the suicides - to quote headlines from the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5068606.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5069230.stm

Killing yourself is an act of war!!!

I think that some people are in serious denial about their role in this.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[Newbie 0]

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Let's look on the bright side. That's three less suicide bombers on the streets of Baghdad, who would gladly take as many as possible with them.

You should be ashamed of such a sweeping and generalised comment - one of the men was due to be released, i.e. the current administration in the US had PROVEN BEYOND A DOUBT he was not a terrorist threat, but under current policy, they choose not to disclose this to the Guantanamo prisoners.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5070514.stm

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[billvon 2,476]

By JACK FLOREY
Published: June 11, 2006

WASHINGTON, June 11 — US military personnel are seeing a rise in assymetrical warfare in Iraq and detention facilities throughout the world, military officials suggested on Monday.

This new form of warfare was recently highlighted at the United States military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where three inmates hung themselves in an apparent 'coordinated attack' against US troops stationed there.

"They are smart, they are creative, they are committed," Rear Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., the commander of the detention camp at Guantánamo, said during a recent press conference. "They have no regard for life, neither ours nor their own. I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us."

US military officials say this has not been the first such attack.

"In Haditha, we saw an incident where an IED detonated, and people there intentionally stayed in their homes, attempting to provoke a killing reaction from a group of US marines," said an unnamed Pentagon source. "The four year old in particular was obviously coached to look guilty."

The US Military is investigating the Hadita killings.

In other parts of the Middle East, insurgents use a similar strategy, according to US military officials. "Dilawar intentionally died after we applied the normal interrogation techniques," said Spc. Joshua Bonobo, referring to an Afghani cab driver tortured to death by US forces last year. "He clearly was part of the insurgent strategy of trying to make US troops look bad by dying at the drop of a hat. We suspect he manufactured a bogus heart condition to implicate the US in his death."

This strategy was also used at Abu Ghraib prison as an attempt to make the prison seem worse than it was, according to military personnel who worked there. Pfc Heather Endel, a soldier implicated in the scandal, called them "devious." "They would smear themselves in dog food just to get our dogs to try to attack them," she recalled in a recent interview. "One night a group of them stole several pairs of handcuffs and suspended themselves from the ceiling, hoping a photographer would take pictures and lead to a massive international scandal."

[narcimund 0]

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where three inmates hung themselves in an apparent 'coordinated attack' against US troops stationed there.

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I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us."

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"The four year old in particular was obviously coached to look guilty."

Oh boy... I'm usually good at spotting such things but ... well ... this is a satire, right?

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[shropshire 0]

Sounds like a Monty Python sketch, doesn't it?

.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[narcimund 0]

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Sounds like a Monty Python sketch, doesn't it?

It's a really REALLY sad day for the United States ... it was a great 230 year experiment but it's really truly over now.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[SpeedRacer 1]

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Sounds like a Monty Python sketch, doesn't it?

It's a really REALLY sad day for the United States ... it was a great 230 year experiment but it's really truly over now.

so chuteless was right!!

Speed Racer
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[miked10270 0]

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Sounds like a Monty Python sketch, doesn't it?

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It was a Monty Python Sketch, wasn't it?

The Life of Brian... The Crack Suicide Squad of The Judean People's Front burst into Pilate's room, draw their swords, run up to Pilate, and stab themselves!

It was funny that time.

Mike.

Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable.

Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.