Guantanamo ?

There is an article in todays New York Post written by former Army Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Cucullu detailing some of what actually happens (and does not happen) at Gauntanamo.  According to the article:

“Considering that Guantanamo is one of the most inspected, highly supervised and stringently disciplined facilities in the world, I’m surprised it continues to be so misrepresented. I toured Guantanamo five times over the past three years and was greeted with absolute transparency. “Where do you want to go, what do you want to see?” authorities asked. “We’ll take you any where with no notice.” I took them up on their offer and walked all of the blocks, hospital, library, food prep, and interrogations.”

The article lists the details of the care of the detainees–they receive medical care and they are given special meals to celebrate their religious holidays.  The article also relates the fact that the detainees routinely mistreat the American military personnel guarding them there.

Before we spend too much of our energy sympathizing with these detainees, we need to look at what has happened when supposed ‘innocent’ detainees are released.  About 11 per cent of them have been recaptured on the battlefield.  One released detainee is now heading Al Qaeda in Yemen.  We need to think more carefully about what will happen to these people if we close Gauntanamo.