Guantanamo report conflicts with earlier testimony
So now we are hearing that everything at Gitmo is squeaky clean and always was.
But wait…what about the previous headlines that a military commission judge
Washington Post headline “Detainee Tortured, Says U.S. Official
“We tortured [Mohammed al-]Qahtani,” said Susan J. Crawford, in her first interview since being named convening authority of military commissions by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in February 2007. “His treatment met the legal definition of torture. And that’s why I did not refer the case” for prosecution.”
And what of the comments from Spc. Brandon Neely:
He is being very clear. He was present during illegal treatment of prisoners. And all this in the shadow of what we learned about Abu Ghraib after many denials of abuse.
What do you think? Is this new report a dog and pony show or are we to presume that Susan Crawford and Brandon Neely liars?
Lets also be reminded that we heard confusing numbers regarding recidivism rates of those detainees who were released by the Bush/Cheney Administration. For the uninitiated, recidivism is a term used to describe the return to criminal behavior by prisoners. CNN Article states that many security experts were critical of the reliability of these reports. While the number “61” was bantered around, the Pentagon couldn’t source the numbers.
If we are to make an effective determination of value of Guantanamo detention center or other programs we need clear and accurate information on its effectiveness. And while I hesitate to accuse military officers of fabrications or covering their asses, we know from history there are such people who serve our country and fall short in this important moral code of honesty and frank presentation.