Al Jazeera cameraman Sami al-Hajj has hit out at the treatment of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay military prison where he was held for nearly six and a half years.
He said that “rats are treated with more humanity“, than the inmates, whose “human dignity was violated”.
Al-Hajj, who arrived in Sudan early on Friday, was carried off a US air force jet on a stretcher and immediately taken to hospital…
Al-Hajj, who is originally from Sudan, was held as an “enemy combatant” without ever facing trial or charges.
Al-Hajj was the only journalist from a major international news organisation held at Guantanamo and many of his supporters saw his detention as punishment for the network’s broadcasts.
I doubt that we have to worry about any of the U.S. entertainment media news organizations running the risk of offending the divine power in the White House.
#32
“It’s shocking to me that people are willing to defend the torture going on in Gitmo because of the prisoner’s affiliation with radical muslim extremists.”
Sami al-Hajj was *released* from Gitmo, did you miss that part?
“How much outrage would there be in this country if American civilians were held against their will and without charges as we are doing to others?”
More Americans – and not US soldiers, mind you! – were killed by muslim fuckups than there is prisoners in Gitmo. Quite few “were held against their will and without charges” until they were beheaded, did you miss it in the news too?
“Why are people willing to excuse this behavior?”
Perhaps because normal people usually know, that no one has ever won a war just by “being right”?
“It’s disgusting that not only this type of torturous activities are allowed to go on, and that simple-minded people are so willing to follow in line with the current corrupt administration.”
Actually the only simple-minded person here is you if supporting your own troops and welfare of your own country is equal to supporting Bush.
It’s disgusting that some people can be so dumb.
I will make 1 comment.
Lets Air, all those that were Assassinated, and kidnapped by those in the Middle east, Nut jobs.
From tourists, to businessmen.. for little or no reason.. For Money or just to kill someone.
The problem i see, started in the 1800’s and continues today.
Corps that took over and RULED the middle east, until those nations KICKED them out.
they went in there for the OIL and MONEY, and Many are still there.
Great Britain, got a GOOD nose bleed from there expansionist tendencies, and the UN and USA backed it. NOW we are getting OUR bloody nose, for TRYING to do the same THING. TRYING to hold onto OIL.
This is like trying to break up a husband and WIFE FIGHT…we stand in the middle, and they STOP fighting each other, only to FIGHT US.
These nations have been arguing sense BEFORE Christ..
GEt out, and leave them to there own.
We use LESS then 20% of our oil FROM the middle east.
@888
People like you are what is wrong with this country. It is people like you that don’t care about the rule of law and due process that will allow America to become a police state and think it is a good idea.
#20, ½ ½ ½
Please watch CNN, Fox, BBC, Deutsche Welle or even Al Jazeera if you want – and do trust any of them – why would I care LOL
Because none of them approach the level of disinformation FOX SPEWS has provided your asshole with.
#31, ½ ½ ½,
I don’t mean to crap in your beliefs, but when exactly was it when “we believed in rule of law and due process, even for the guilty”?
Was in the Dodge City Wild West times?
Yup, they has law enforcement and courts even then.
Maybe during Indian Wars?
Yup. Although I’m not sure which “Indian Wars” you are referring to. There was law and order. It might not have been perfect, but it was there.
During Prohibition and Great Recession times?
Shit, even the most notorious criminal of the time, Al Capone, was brought before a Judge, had his own lawyer, given a fair trial, and sentenced to a jail.
Or was it when we fried Sacco and Vanzetti?
After the trial. Yes, they were represented, given a jury trial, and found guilty. What you miss is that they WERE given a trial, as were all the other people we accused of treason against the US. The prisoners in Gitmo haven’t been given the opportunity to test their guilt or innocence.
They were arrested in the first place because the US put a bounty of $25,000 on every Taliban or al Queada turned in. Many Afghanis took advantage of the bounty to turn in opponents. They were never guilty of anything except being in the wrong place or having the wrong enemies.
#32, pedro,
You are a hyperbole.
I wish we make our own gitmo in some middle east desert and stuff it all up with Americans and Israelis and do some interesting stuff to them. that will be fun and their reaction will be more funnier. yeah!!!!
Zork,
you are PUSHING, a Bad subject the WRONG way.
If you had Sympathies towards the radical groups, you could Explain your understanding and reasoning for WHAT they are/have already done.
You add tree Pitch to a fire, and you rial the radicals IN OUR land, and all you do is ferment HATE.
> if he was being held without charges being filed, that alone should outrage you.
No, that’s what happens to prisoners during war. And if they are not following the Geneva Conventions by wearing uniforms and not using civilians as cover, then they can be summarily executed.
Its good to see zorkor (#40) posting here. Course, we don’t know who he is or what personality he has assumed for the blog of it. It is fair though to take a post at face value until contra or confirming information is gained.
Right now, zorkor writes as if he were a fundy muslim fighting against the USA in its foreign occupation of Iraq.
That as a premise, whats wrong with applying the Christian Golden Rule and do to our captured soldiers what USA does in Gitmo? Waterboarding etc? Now, I suspect any Muslim Gitmo would not be the same thing at all, but maybe I am prejudiced.
Hey zorkor==will you give up your fight once the USA gives up and leaves the middle east or will there be no peace until Israel and USA are wiped off the map?
#42, Lyin’ MikeN,
… that’s what happens to prisoners during war. And if they are not following the Geneva Conventions by wearing uniforms and not using civilians as cover, then they can be summarily executed.
Most of the “guests” in Gitmo were picked up after the fighting was over. They were turned in for the bounty. Picking up civilians after the war has passed is what the Gestapo did during WW II and the KGB after the war.
You pick some fine bed fellows Lyin’ Mike. We are supposed to be better than those dictatorships.
How do we know that any anti-american sentiments of ex-prisoners aren’t simply from the fact that we’ve imprisoned and tortured them? Do you think they’d leave Gitmo thinking ” oh, I’d better be good and leave those people who did that to me alone”.
BTW, those who think people who criticize our wrongdoings in this war as being unpatriotic can go fuck themselves in Macy’s window.
Bobbo, that’s not the golden rule, at least get your arguments straight.
#48–Mike, of course that’s the Golden Rule. Folded inside out, but still the same rule.
Wow, talk about biased reporting. This is lame
#50 J
What is lame is someone posting as someone else.
51 “J”
It is probably a pain to have someone else using the same handle. Grab a new one.