"Punishment Intended to Drive Men to...Suicide"
Regarding the recent suicides at Guantanamo, here are three well-crafted letters to the editor in today's New York Times:
1. To the Editor:
Re "Three Prisoners Commit Suicide at Guantanamo" (front page, June 11):
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations have all denounced the conditions of the United States military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and even Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Bush administration's single major ally in the war on terror, has called for its closing.
Yet Rear Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., the commander at Guantanamo, chose to interpret the suicides of three prisoners by saying: "They have no regard for life, neither our nor their own. I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetircal warfare waged against us."
Though I no longer thought it possible, such language makes me ashamed of my government.
Stephen Crowley
Cleveland Heights, OH
June 11, 2006
2. To the Editor:
The moral responsibility for the deaths of three prisoners lies squarely with President Bush.
First, he decided to imprison them indefinitely without trial. Then he defied the Supreme Court's 2004 repudiation of his position and announced that he would insist on yet another ruling of the court before providing elementary fairness.
This obduracy has now had its long-predicted consequences, but the administration remains obdurate.
Having driven men to suicide men in its custody whom it blocked from counsel and whom it unilaterally asserted were terrorists, it complains that it has been victim of an act of war.
Actually, the Guantanamo Three were victims of the president's war on the rule of law.
Eric M. Freedman
New York,
June 11, 2006
The writer serves as legal counsel for the Guantanaom detainees.
3. To the Editor:
As a federal court-appointed monitor of health care in prisons for more than 20 years, I have reviewed the medical records of prisoners who killed themselves in prisons and jails throughout the United States.
Prisoners kill themselves when they are hopeless, when they have no contact with their families, and when faced with a terrifying future.
Prisoners are Guantanamo are subjected to torture and to cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment intended to drive men to madness, which leads to suicide.
For the sake of humanity, for the sake of the prisoners are Guantanamo Bay and to divert our country from its course of infamy, the prison at Guantanamo must be closed immediately.
Robert L. Cohen, M.D.
New York, June 11, 2006
These are three good letters - especially the last. To the first one (Robert Crowley's), I would add only two things: (a) I'd put "so-called" in front of "war on terror": the U.S. is waging a war OF terror that is actually increasing terrorism; (b)Admiral Harris's comment illustrates the Orwellian and proto-fascistic mindset of Bush and many atop the armed forces.
To the second (Eric Freedman's), I would add the broad bipartisan complicity of Congress. All of Bush's crimes have been richly enabled by people outside the White House and the Republican Party.
I have nothing to add to the third (Cohen's)letter except the Joseph Conrad line: "The horror! The horror!!"
Let's Talk.
By Kissenger, Clark at Jun 27, 2006 13:11 PM
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sure
By Kissenger, Clark at Jun 25, 2006 21:10 PM
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Blogs
By Kissenger, Clark at Jun 24, 2006 10:08 AM
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apologies
By Kissenger, Clark at Jun 17, 2006 10:56 AM
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Hi Savinien :-) I
By Kissenger, Clark at Jun 17, 2006 08:08 AM
Hi Savinien :-)
I want to blog on Horror-witch`s sturmfront magazin,
but they do not have open discussions like the repressve totalitarian stalisists here.
Any views on how to talk to "them" ? Anybody ?
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Hi Savinien :-) I
By Kissenger, Clark at Jun 17, 2006 08:08 AM
Hi Savinien :-)
I want to blog on Horror-witch`s sturmfront magazin,
but they do not have open discussions like the repressve totalitarian stalisists here.
Any wievs on how to talk to "them" ? Anybody ?
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cyrano's wereabout
By Kissenger, Clark at Jun 16, 2006 21:09 PM
Hello victor, kevin, paul, anomymous, david and all friends of z community.. I did not desert the Zblogs, I am attempting to "convert" people on the "yahoo answer your questions" and I am also linking my answer to questions to the z community as well ( z blogs ). I am pagiarizing paul street! lol, no seriously, The question I posts are usually similar to z blogs; I think it is generally productive to re-educate the lost souls with z intensive knowledge of the political spectrum.
I think that it would be a good idea that some of you come to double-post znet forums questions or answer some on this profit oriented yahoo, just in case the z community could recuperate one or many unfortunate soul(s)from the Vilain Fairy Tails they are told.. and this as always for the benefit of all..
ahh if you look behind the mask of guy fawkes, you may find a cyrano hiding there..
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More Orewell
By Kissenger, Clark at Jun 16, 2006 15:42 PM
The war is against Eastasia (Afghanistan) one day, then Ociania (Iraq) the next, then back again. Creating theatrics performed for the Media, like the "surprise trip to bagdad", will create the reality that the Admin wants.
It is also interesting how the killing of one man can be so symbolically important, while the suicides of three can be dismissed nonimportant. The dominant media perpetuates this distiction, of course, through its continued reporting on the killing of Zarquawi, who he was, where he came from, his autopsy, his replacement etc. While the histories of the three prisners who commited suicide goes unreported.
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War n world
By Kissenger, Clark at Jun 16, 2006 04:05 AM
A war on hacking would give a lot og new jobs in computersecurity.
War on ( illegal ) drugs.
War on ( illegal ) terror.
War on ( illegal ) hacking.
And the best thing is that it never has to stop.
( Besides its agreat way to redistribute wealth ).
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"Seize the Moment"
By Kissenger, Clark at Jun 15, 2006 16:38 PM
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DoubleSpeak
By Kissenger, Clark at Jun 15, 2006 11:58 AM
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