Voices from Guantanomo

The New York Times has a piece today called Voices Baffled, Brash and Irate in Guantánamo that takes a look at some of the detainees whose stories emerged from recently released Pentagon documents.

The article describes some bizarre situations:

At one review hearing last year, an Afghan referred to by the single name Muhibullah denied accusations that he was either the former Taliban governor of Shibarghan Province or had worked for the governor. The solution to his case should have been simple, Mr. Muhibullah suggested to the three American officers reviewing his case: They should contact the Shibarghan governor and ask him.

But the presiding Marine Corps colonel said it was really up to the detainee to try to contact the governor. Assuming that the annual review board denied his petition for freedom, noted the officer, whose name was censored from the document, Mr. Muhibullah would have a year to do so.

“How do I find the governor of Shibarghan or anybody?” the detainee asked.

“Write to them,” the presiding officer responded. “We know that it is difficult but you need to do your best.”

“I appreciate your suggestion, but it is not that easy,” Mr. Muhibullah said.

In related news, the Guardian newspaper reports on a new Amnesty International report that claims 14,000 people have been imprisoned in Iraq by US and UK forces without trial.

In a new report published today, the human rights group criticised the US-led multinational force for interning some 14,000 people.

Around 3,800 people have been held for over a year, while another 200 have been detained for more than two years, the report – Beyond Abu Ghraib: detention and torture in Iraq – said.

“It is a dangerous precedent for the world that the US and UK think it completely defensible to hold thousands of people without charge or trial,” Amnesty spokesman Neil Durkin said.

The detainee situation in Iraq was comparable to Guantánamo Bay, he added, but on a much larger scale, and the detentions appeared to be “arbitrary and indefinite”.