Guantánamo Bay's last UK detainee: 'people are dying here' in hunger strike
Source: The Guardian
A British hunger striker inside Guantánamo Bay has laid bare the deteriorating conditions of inmates, expressing fears that he and others will soon die as a result of what he described as "systematic torture".
Shaker Aamer, the last UK resident still held at the camp, claims he is subjected to harsh treatment from guards and denied water, despite being in a weakened state due to severe weight loss, according to a written declaration filed by his lawyer.
He also alleges that the US base will soon be dealing with its first fatalities as a result of the current action: "I might die this time," he is quoted by his lawyer as saying, adding: "I cannot give you numbers and names, but people are dying here."
The testimony, seen by the Guardian, will form part of evidence presented at a hearing Monday into complaints from the remaining inmates at the notorious detention camp. Over the weekend, clashes broke out as guards attempted to break the hunger strike, which is thought to have begun on 6 February.
Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/14/guantanamo-bay-last-uk-detainee
Solly Mack
(90,787 posts)blackspade
(10,056 posts)None of those 'terrorists' should even still be there.
It flies in the face of what the American justice system purports to be.
The fact that the administration still has not closed that place down after 5 years is just one more reason to doubt their sincerity about transparency and civil liberties.
xiamiam
(4,906 posts)EC
(12,287 posts)The Congress shuts down any road he starts on to close it, the countries these people are from refuse them, so I'm not sure how to proceed. What does Obama have left he CAN do?
xiamiam
(4,906 posts)EC
(12,287 posts)so what good would that do? And as I understand it, it wasn't Obama that banned their returns, it was once again...Congress.
marshall
(6,665 posts)I can see how we might have leverage with some countries, but there are other countries that wouldn't take orders from our Congress.
xiamiam
(4,906 posts)this most probably from democracy now although Im not certain about that
from an interview with a defense attorney- a us military officer, whose name I cant remember- several weeks ago. I need to find that clip but it wont be until later.
yes, it is congress as well.. but for the 100 or so prisoners cleared to be released, the catch 22 is they cannot return to their home countries because Obama has put those countries on a list.. inmates cannot be returned there. .and signed it
Its not like these guys can or even want to go anywhere else..
xiamiam
(4,906 posts)over half of those cleared for release are from yemen.. held in captivity because of their citizenship. .this moratorium was signed into law by Obama January 2010..i did hear that other countries also had a moratorium but I cant find any evidence of that yet
Turborama
(22,109 posts)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaker_Aamer (hat tip to Uppity for sharing this below)
So, why won't they just put him on a plane to the UK?
cstanleytech
(26,319 posts)and it might even be the British government
"In January 2012, The Independent revealed that the British government has spent £274,345 fighting in court to prevent Aamer's lawyers from gaining access to evidence which may prove his innocence."
Anyway I wish the majority of congress would pay real respect to both the constitution and the declaration of independence rather than only paying lip service to it by preventing the people held there from having their cases here before a real court of law rather than the farce they have setup now.
EC
(12,287 posts)that's why. per article on front page of DU
I know it's quite disgusting, but the UK doesn't want him because of torture claims, so where will he go? Saudi Arabia didn't want him either.
On edit: Bushies set up quite a problem for the US and UK because of their torturing.
24601
(3,962 posts)the fallout. He could dare the House to impeach, reasonably certain that the Senate would not convict. But even if he was removed from office, he'd go out with a bang rather than a whimper.
Or he could schedule a colonoscopy, let Biden do it as acting President.
He could read Danial Day Lewis' lines in Lincoln and then grow a pair:
"I decided that the Constitution gives me war powers, but no one knows just exactly what those powers are. Some say they don't exist. I don't know. I decided I needed them to exist to uphold my oath to protect the Constitution,...."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/trivia?tab=qt&ref_=tt_trv_qu
But of course he won't.
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts).
Response to Turborama (Original post)
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Trascoli
(194 posts)Can you tell me about his/her family? Pictures of the children?
uppityperson
(115,679 posts)Turborama
(22,109 posts)I'm finding it hard to get my head around this.
I reckon it deserves an OP of its own as I bet most other DUers do not know about it and would be equally as shocked & horrified by what's happened/happening to him.
Thanks for looking him up, I am remiss in not doing it myself earlier.
BTW the e-petition to the UK government has now got 115,724 signatures and, as it has gone over 100,000, there will be a debate about it in parliament next Wednesday. http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/33133
If anyone's up at that time, the debate will be broadcast live here (it'll be archived to watch later, too): http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=13003
uppityperson
(115,679 posts)Last night I wanted to simply give the link, didn't read it. It is awful, I didn't know about him before.
And hey, hi.