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Afsan Bhuiyan
Mrs. Latham
English 2010
04/07/2015
Horror in Guantanamo Bay Prison
Guantanamo Bay prison has been the prison for detainees who were war captives and has
link to Al Qaeda or Taliban. Although, many detainees are held without any charge of terrorism,
and some of those detainees are in juvenile prison. The Guantanamo Bay has many camps, and
each camp has its own facilities and system. Detainees can move from one camp to another
camp(better camp) depending on the cooperation the detainees give. Guantanamo Bay prison is
outside the U.S, so the rights of a POW(prisoner of war) in the U.S does not apply to
Guantanamo Bay prisoners since the prisoners are not in America. According to Moazzam
Begg(released detainee) he stated Dick Cheney wants to operate in the dark side or in the
shadows according to a documentary called Taxi To The Dark Side. Which essentially means
Dick Cheney will be sending CIA and the military intelligence services to operate in places
outside the law (CIA Torture - Guantanamo Bay). The rights of the POWs in Guantanamo Bay
prison does not apply to the U.S law ,so Bush administration made their own rules for detainees
in the Guantanamo Bay prison. The Bush administration states interrogating a detainee till he/she
is dead or till he/she has organ failure is considered to be torture and violates the law for POWs
in GITMO(Guantanamo Bay prison). What is allowed in GITMO is waterboarding, forced
nudity, sleep deprivation, temperature extremes, stress positions, and prolonged isolation which
is considered safe, legal, ethical, and effective (Neglect of Medical Evidence). Although there
has been many reports of detainees with severe psychological and physical illnesss from the

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interrogation. Also, there has been reports of detainees showing religious, and sexual abuse that
they encountered. This incident questions the humanity of whats really going on in Guantanamo
Bay. The severe interrogations done on Guantanamo Bay prison causes Al Qaeda and their allies
to propagate about Guantanamo Bay prison situation to recruit members (Sunni Muslims). There
is political, medical, and moral problems that arise from the situation in GITMO(Guantanamo
Bay prison). The U.S government must reduce the severe interrogation in GITMO, increase more
access in the Guantanamo Bay prison, give the detainees specific rights (religious, sexual,
medical), to treat detainees more humanely and show integrity towards the world to prevent
extremist groups to propagate about the Guantanamo Bay situation.
First, the lack of security and access in Guantanamo Bay contributes the interrogators
more freedom to interrogate the detainees however they want. Many of the interrogators
violated and abused the detainees which shocked the world. For example, Staff Sgt. Joseph
Hickman, a Marine veteran who reenlisted in the Maryland National Guard after 9/11
(Connelly, Sherryl, SC. "Guantanamo Bay Sergeant) found three detainees (Yasser Talal alZahrani of Yemen, and Salah Ahmed al-Salami and Mani Shaman al-Utaybi, both of Saudi
Arabia) were found with rags in their mouth and one of them was badly bruised. The news said
that the detainees committed suicide. Hickman knew that the detainees didnt have the material
to kill themselves with rags or socks. Also, there are five guards during the night of the suicide
which they were ordered to check the detainees every three minutes. The guards had to visually
check if the prisoners had been breathing. If the guards violated any of those rules then they
would be punished, but none of the guards were punished during for suicide of the detainees.
Hickman found a chemical mefloquine which gives a mental breakdown that was given to
detainees. The intense level of secrecy enforced at the camp prohibited Hickman from raising

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questions (Connelly, Sherryl, SC. "Guantanamo Bay Sergeant). This raises a question on the
integrity of the guards and ones who reported the incident. Bizarre incidents like the Heckman
incident shows how privately interrogating detainees can lead to guards violating the law of
handling POWs. There should be cameras to record the detainees 24/7 to prevent any bizarre
incident like the suicide of the detainees. The lack of security and access to Guantanamo Bay
leads to the sexual abuse detainees went through.
The detainees go through severe physical and psychological illnesses. Most of the
illnesss of the detainees are not treated, but treated only if the detainee cooperate with the
interrogators. There are nine individuals who are detainees with medical records that conveys the
physical and psychological injuries that they received in prison GTMO medical records
documented injuries that were consistent or highly consistent with detainee allegations of abuse:
contusions (2), bone fractures (3), lacerations (2), peripheral nerve damage (1), and sciatica (2).
(Neglect of Medical Evidence) Although we dont know the cause of the physical injuries we
can know that these detainees were badly beaten or horribly treated. Without any physical
evidence of what the interrogators did to the detainees we cant assume the detainees had been
physical injured from interrogators. Although we know that the detainees were physically injured
in the prison. Also, the detainees never had any psychological history or family history of
psychological problems. The eight detainees out of the nine detainees had psychological
symptoms of nightmares (5), suicidal ideation (4), depression (2), audiovisual hallucinations
(3), suicide attempts (2), anxiety/claustrophobia (2), memory and concentration difficulties (1),
and dissociative states (2) (Neglect of Medical Evidence) in the Guantanamo Bay prison.
Again, we do not know the cause of these psychological problems, but these problems occurred
when they were in prison. We need security cameras with audio to know what the interrogators

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are actually doing with the detainees to stop any atrocious acts being done to the detainees.
When cameras are installed then we can find if any interrogators/guards are violating the
detainees. Letting go of the physical and psychological of the detainees is inhumane, so full
access to Guantanamo Bay should be ordered by the U.S government. There are factors like
sexual abuse which leads detainee to have had physical or psychological injuries.
The sexual abuses that occurred in Guantanamo Bay prison include rape, molestation and
other forms of sexual acts. The interrogators sexually abused the detainees to humiliate them, so
the detainee is forced to give out information. There are female interrogators that arouse and
sexually abuse the detainee to humiliate them and get information out of him (Report: Torture
and Cruel). The detainees are not allowed to fornicate or have sexual physical connection with
non-mahram (woman he can marry or married woman) because of their Islamic religion. The
female interrogators abuses the right of the detainee by lusting over him to get information out
of him. Although not all sexual abuse is heterosexual. For example, the released British
prisoners allege that several young prisoners said they were taken to isolated sections of the
prison and raped by guards ("Report: Torture and Cruel). If the boys were underage then this
act would be an act of pedophilia. Also, there is another incident of an Algerian man was forced
to watch a video where two prisoners dressed in orange sodomized each other. The
interrogators said to the Algerian man that he would get sodomized like in the video if he didnt
cooperate. ("Report: Torture and Cruel) The interrogators are using horrendous tactics to get
information out of the detainee just like how a rapist threatens his victims to force him/her to do
an action. Another example is about a detainee named Mr. Al Noaimi who was in his cell ,and
was threatened by an MP from Unit 94 who threatened to rape him. The MP taunted him by
winking and blowing kisses at him. Then the MP attempted to enter the cell while another MP

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stood lookout, but either due to a fear of detection or a change of mind, he left the cell and did
not carry out his threat. ("Report: Torture and Cruel). The tactic of threatening a detainee to
rape him is not effective because the interrogators intention could lead him to do an immoral
action just like how the MPs intention lead him to almost rape the detainee. Sexual abuse isnt
the only mistreatment the detainees received, but religious abuse as well which is very degrading
to the detainees.
Religious abuse is done to cause anger and humiliation among the detainees. The only
time the interrogators would show respect of the detainees religion is when the detainee
cooperates with them. Abusing their religion degrades the detainee. For example, there was a
female interrogator who smeared fake menstrual blood on a prisoner the intent of this
appalling treatment was to make the prisoner feel so unclean that he would not be able to pray
(Report: Torture and Cruel). The interrogators know that if the detainee wants to pray then
the detainee should get clean clothes. The only way to get clean clothes is if the detainee
cooperates with the interrogators. Although, making the detainee not pray takes away the
freedom of the detainees religion. The prayer of the detainee is not harming the GITMO guards,
so taking away the right of the detainee to pray is inhumane. Another example, where Shafiq
(Born Dudley, West Midlands, England, but Pakistan origin) was religiously abused by the
GITMO guards. Shafiq says I had to run as fast as I could with my legs shackled and I was bent
over with a sack over my head. We were taken to another tent. There they cut off all my clothes
and forcefully shaved our beards and heads. I was taken outside. I was completely naked with a
sack on my head and I could 16 hear dogs barking nearby and soldiers shouting get em
boy.(Tipton Three) This shows how the interrogators in Guantanamo Bay religiously abuse the
detainees by shaving their beards. Keeping a beard is mandatory according to orthodox Islam

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which Shafiq follows. Also, showing the genital area to anyone (other than the spouse) is
prohibited in Islam. The interrogators abused Shafiq by forcing him to get naked. Humiliating
and degrading a detainee by taking his rights away by stripping him is an cruel act because
basically the guards are trying to force the detainee to stop him from practicing his religion. The
interrogators know that stripping the detainee is not necessary. Not only the interrogators abuse
the non-violent religious practices of the detainees, but abuse their book which is the holy Quran.
There was an incidence where an interrogator thrown a prisoners Quran on the floor, stepped
on it, and kicked it across the room. ("Report: Torture and Cruel). Abusing the Quran is an
insult and an attack to the Muslims who respect the Quran. If the interrogator abused a bible
then the Christians (the major religion in America) would get mad over the incident, and most
likely protest to charge the interrogator. If any religious books like the bible which Christian
guards in GITMO read are respected in the Guantanamo Bay prison then the Quran should be
respected in the same level. No matter how angry a detainee becomes from religious abuse the
detainee maybe medically abused from severe interrogation or punishment too.
There are doctors and psychologists who were supposed to take care of detainees to help
them psychologically and physically. Although, the interrogators take the illnesses of the
detainees as an advantage to obtain information out of them. For example, Mohammad reported
that he had a rash on his back and was told it would not be treated until he cooperated with
interrogators (Report: Torture and Cruel). This incident shows the cruelty of the interrogators
of taking away medical rights away from the detainee. If the interrogators want to keep the
detainees alive then the detainees should be treated humanely by receiving the right treatment.
Abusing a detainees body to make him suffer is atrocious. Another case where Omar Deghayes
saw prisoners denied of the prosthetic devices they need for their prosthetic limbs. Omar said It

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was one of the most depressing experiences I have endured. The prisoners were effectively
blackmailed by their interrogators who said that they had to cooperate in order to get their
prosthetic devices back. They are denied the toilet chairs, the sticks they need to walk and even
the cream they need to ensure that the wound will not become infected and inflamed. The pain is
apparently particularly great when they are denied the necessary prosthetic socks, so that the
wounds are exposed to the extreme cold of the cells. ("Report: Torture and Cruel). Playing
with the limbs of the detainee is a cruel act to obtain information from the detainee. The detainee
has the right to own his body. If the interrogators abuse and control his limps then the detainee is
playing with the life of the detainee. Abusing the limbs of the detainee is absolutely inhumane
and a crime against humanity. The U.S government should take actions against the brutal acts in
GITMO.
The U.S governments law of POW contradicts the Geneva conventions of POW. The
Geneva Convention states people who fall into enemy hands during conflicts must be provided
with protection. Also, torture is prohibited by the UN Convention against torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The interrogation approved by the Bush
administration such as waterboarding (simulated drowning), forced nudity, sleep deprivation,
temperature extremes, stress positions, and prolonged isolation(Neglect of Medical
Evidence) constitutes torture according to the Geneva Conventions. Now Osama Bin Ladin is
using the horrifying situation in Guantanamo Bay as a propaganda he mentioned the crimes
at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo which shook the conscience of humanity. (Jamie Tarabay
Abu Ghraib Closes) to recruit members (Sunni Muslims). If the U.S government reduces the
interrogation methods or at least follows the Geneva Convention of handling POVs then the
detainees would be handled more humanly. As detainees are handled more humanly then

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politically Al Qaeda cannot use the situation in Guantanamo Bay as propaganda. Also,
interrogating harshly with the detainee is barely effective, and could lead the detainee to give
false information. For example, Moazzam talks about Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi who gave a false
confession in Guantanamo Bay about how Al Qaeda is working with Saddam Hussein who is
planning on creating weapons of mass destruction which led the American military to go after
Saddam Hussein in Iraq. (CIA Torture - Guantanamo Bay) Severe interrogations are not effective
all the time especially where detainees dont fear death for the sake of their religion.
Guantanamo Bay is harsh place where detainees are interrogated. Most detainees are
linked to Al Qaeda or Taliban. There has been cases of detainees who were interrogated, but
didnt have any charge of terrorism or any physical evidence of terrorism. There are prison
camps for adults and for juveniles too. The detainees are interrogated privately (CIA Torture Guantanamo Bay). Approved interrogation methods are waterboarding, forced nudity, sleep
deprivation, temperature extremes, stress positions, and prolonged isolation to be safe, legal,
ethical, and effective (Neglect of Medical Evidence) as long as you dont interrogate the
detainees till death or till organ failure. The detainees countered many forms of sexual, religious,
and medical abuse in the prison. The extremist such as Al Qaeda uses the situation in
Guantanamo Bay as a propaganda to recruit members. The detainees must be given rights, and
the U.S government must reduce interrogation methods done to the detainee and treat them in a
more humanly manner. The detainees must be given many rights which were not given to them
in the Guantanamo Bay prison.

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Work Cited
Brand, Russell. "CIA Torture - Guantanamo Bay." YouTube. YouTube, 15 Dec. 2014. Web. 22
Feb. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sl7ojcIj8E>.
"Neglect of Medical Evidence of Torture in Guantnamo Bay: A Case Series." PLoS Medicine
8.4 (2011): E1001-1006. Web. 22 Jan. 2015.
CONNELLY, SHERRYL, SC. "Guantanamo Bay Sergeant Claims CIA Tortured 3 Men to
Death." NY Daily News. NY Daily News, 17 Jan. 2015. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/guantanamo-bay-sergeant-claims-ciatortured-3-men-death-article-1.2082610>.
"Report: Torture and Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment of Prisoners at Guantanamo
Bay." Center for Constitution RSS. CRR Justice, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2015.
<http://ccrjustice.org/learn-more/reports/report:-torture-and-cruel,-inhuman,-anddegrading-treatment-prisoners-guantanamo->.
"Report: Tipton Three Detention in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay." Center for Constitution
RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
<http://ccrjustice.org/tipton-three>.
Tarabay, Jamie, J.T. "Abu Ghraib Closes, Bitter Memories of Torture Remain | Al Jazeera
America." Abu Ghraib Closes. Al Jazeera, 16 Apr. 2014. Web. 27 Jan. 2015.
<http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/4/15/abu-ghraib-s-infamousend.html>.
Wood, Sara, SW. "Military Commission Proceedings at Guantanamo Bay - U.S. Department of
Defense Official Website." Military Commission Proceedings at Guantanamo Bay U.S. Department of Defense Official Website. United States Department of Defense, 11

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Nov. 2004. Web. 02 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.defense.gov/home/features/gitmo/facilities.html>.