Guantanamo Five return to the UK

Sparks

From the BBC:

Four of the five Britons released from Guantanamo Bay are due to be questioned by Anti-Terrorist Branch police after returning to the UK on Tuesday night.

The fifth, Jamal Udeen, of Manchester, has been released without charge.

So at least one of them has a strong case of wrongful arrest and/or illegal imprisonment against the US. Anyone care to guess the odds that that'll be followed up?

And a less-pleasant-than-that note is that the familes of the five men have apparently being almost barricading themselves in their homes. Apparently, they don't trust the local community (who elected two BNP councillers in their area in the last election) to behave in an extraordinarily enlightened fashion. What a wonderful world we live in, eh?

Hobbes

Had on the news they may be let go also.

luckat

It puts the British in a difficult position - they could curry favour with their colonial masters by convicting one of the Guantanameros...

bonkey

Originally posted by luckat
It puts the British in a difficult position - they could curry favour with their colonial masters by convicting one of the Guantanameros...

You know, I'm not sure the US are in any rush to see anyone convicted.

Sseeing as how the Germans recently overturned the only conviction in the world to date concerning the 9/11 hijackings - and that was done because the US refused to make evidence and a witness available, thus resulting in an appealed verdict of mistrial - it would only bring more attention on something that they're probably delighted to have a low profile on at the moment.

jc

Hobbes

They have all been released as innocent.

Wow only took the UK 1 day to find that out, and the US 2 years.

2 Years in a cage. Yaaa democracy.

shotamoose

The British position on those being held at Guantanamo Bay has been hypocritical, if perhaps understandable. They've kicked up a stink about their people being held without charge, and they've pulled every string and strained every sinew to get as many of them back as possible.

But what about everyone else held captive at Guantanamo? What about citizens of governments less popular in Washington, or less willing or able to make the efforts needed to free them? Their incarceration is not a problem, apparently.

Like I say, it's understandable that the British have been most keen to see their citizens freed, and they presumably think that mentioning anyone else might even be counter-productive. But their silence about the human rights of other country's citizens is still pretty sad.

bonkey

Originally posted by Hobbes
2 Years in a cage.

Well now, to be fair, they were only imprisoned for so long and so contrary to conventional standards because they were all clearly guilty, terrorist-assisting (or terrorist) scum.

At least, thats what we were told 2 years ago.

I'm wondering how many people have to be released before someone in some authority anywhere cops on that the reasons offered for holding anyone in Guantanamo in the manner that they are are now completely undermined.

jc

sovtek

Originally posted by bonkey
Well now, to be fair, they were only imprisoned for so long and so contrary to conventional standards because they were all clearly guilty, terrorist-assisting (or terrorist) scum.

No they are all "bad people". George Bush said do.

Nuttzz

hope they learned that Afghanistan is not a holiday destination of choice.........

sovtek

Originally posted by Nuttzz
hope they learned that Afghanistan is not a holiday destination of choice.........

...or go to places that desperately need help.

Nuttzz

Originally posted by sovtek
...or go to places that desperately need help.

they were aid workers???? even you dont believe that :rolleyes:

Hobbes

Originally posted by Nuttzz
they were aid workers???? even you dont believe that :rolleyes:

Or they could of just been handed over by the Taliban for the $5000 reward that the US was handing over without checking on the prisoners.

Speak English in Afganistan and you have a high percentage chance of getting a holiday in Gitmo bay.

Nuttzz

That’s some gratitude for all their help then.........

stuartfanning

One of them is claiming he was Tortured. Are we surprised? Of course not. Even if these guys are not Terrorists they are Terrorist sympathizers. Anything that will help their allies in the House of Commons (Left wing Labour MP's) in the anti-American anti-Blair campaign they are waging, will be welcomed by UbL and his friends.

Hobbes

Did you see what kind of torture they are claiming? Naked women shown to them.

Sparks

Originally posted by stuartfanning
One of them is claiming he was Tortured. Are we surprised? Of course not.

Darn straight, given the US's record on torture and general violence.

Even if these guys are not Terrorists they are Terrorist sympathizers.

Does that include the one who was kidnapped by afghan rebels, handed over to the Taliban and imprisoned by them as a british spy?

Anything that will help their allies in the House of Commons (Left wing Labour MP's) in the anti-American anti-Blair campaign they are waging, will be welcomed by UbL and his friends.

Yes, because we really must fight off those baby-eating, cow-raping americans with their glowing red eyes... :rolleyes:

Johnmb

Originally posted by Hobbes
Did you see what kind of torture they are claiming? Naked women shown to them.

Those damn Americans!
Seriously though, even if they were fighting along with the Taleban (note, the Taleban, not Al Queida), what was their crime? Did Britain actually declare war? If not, then did they not have a right to help defend the Governing authority. (Yes I know the UN didn't recognise them, but the UN didn't bomb them either).

Sparks

Originally posted by Hobbes
Did you see what kind of torture they are claiming? Naked women shown to them.

From the actual interview:

The father-of-three, from Manchester, told how he was assaulted with fists, feet and batons after refusing a mystery injection. He said detainees were shackled for up to 15 hours at a time in hand and leg cuffs with metal links which cut into the skin. Their "cells" were wire cages with concrete floors and open to the elements - giving no privacy or protection from the rats, snakes and scorpions loose around the American base. He claims punishment beatings were handed out by guards known as the Extreme Reaction Force. They waded into inmates in full riot-gear, raining blows on them. Prisoners faced psychological torture and mind-games in attempts to make them confess to acts they had never committed. Even petty breaches of rules brought severe punishment. Medical treatment was sparse and brutal and amputations of limbs were more drastic than required, claimed Jamal. A diet of foul water and food up to 10 years out-of-date left inmates malnourished.

Prisoners who had never seen an "unveiled" woman before would be forced to watch as the hookers touched their own naked bodies. The men would return distraught. One said an American girl had smeared menstrual blood across his face in an act of humiliation.

luckat

Well, I take everything I said about the British colonial lackeys back. Fair play to them, immediately releasing the guys and not putting any gags on them.

PHB

They can't make a legal chalange againist the US because of the nature of the bay area.

Technically the area is under the control of the cubans, and the americans just kinda sit there and the cubans let them.

However if you try and make a claim againist the cubans they will say the area is under US control and don't take any responsibility for the actions, or care if the international community get angry at them

This legal loophole is exactly why they chose the bay in the first place

Sparks

And the fact that they were "arrested" (I use the term loosly) in jurisdictions other than Gitmo?

Sparks

From the Observer, more detailed accounts.

sovtek

Originally posted by stuartfanning
One of them is claiming he was Tortured. Are we surprised? Of course not. Even if these guys are not Terrorists they are Terrorist sympathizers. Anything that will help their allies in the House of Commons (Left wing Labour MP's) in the anti-American anti-Blair campaign they are waging, will be welcomed by UbL and his friends.

The fact that one of them has problems walking might be a little suggestive.

sovtek

Originally posted by Nuttzz
they were aid workers???? even you dont believe that :rolleyes:

Yes one of the families said that over a year ago and IIRC he was one of those released.
So far their is nothing to suggest that he was anything other than that.
Not saying that there are other possibilities but you seem to be suggesting that they MUST have done something wrong because they were interned in Gitmo.