 |
| Photo credits Andy Worthington. |
Since the establishment of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay on January 11, 2002, 779 passed through this wild prison camp. Seven hundred twenty-nine had been released or transferred, one of them to the mainland where a court in New York City convicted him, and nine have died.
Forty men are still held at Guantanamo, although five the Obama administration recommended for release, which President Trump ignored since taking office in January 2017. President Trump released only the Saudi prisoner Ahmed al-Darbi to his murderous friend Mohammed bin Salman to finish his sentence in a Saudi dungeon.
Guantanamo is the greatest betrayal of American values. And should be closed at once. It’s an enduring thorn in the side of America’s credibility and its justice system. As long Guantanamo stays open, it will be a charged symbol to the world of prisoner abuses, disdain for international law and the rule of law in general, and American imperial power.
