Afsan Bhuiyan

Mrs. Latham
English 2010
2/24/2015
Harsh Life at Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay 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 a better camp
depending on the cooperation the detainees give. Dick Cheney made interrogation happen in
private (CIA Torture - Guantanamo Bay). The Bush administration says interrogating a detainee
till he/she is dead or till organ failure is considered to be torture and violates the U.S laws on
POWs(prisoners of war). The U.S interrogates the detainees by waterboarding, forced nudity,
sleep deprivation, temperature extremes, stress positions, and prolonged isolation to be 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 interrogation. Also,
the reports of detainees show the religious, and sexual abuse they encountered. This incident
questions the humanity of whats really going on in Guantanamo Bay. Also, are the actions
being done to the detainees are humane or not. The severe interrogations done on Guantanamo
Bay causes Al Qaeda and their allies to propagate the situation about detainees in Guantanamo
Bay prison to recruit members (Sunni Muslims). Politically, medically, and morally on the
torture of detainees affected the world. The U.S government must reduce the severe
interrogation, increase access in 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 the Guantanamo Bay situation.
First, the lack of security and access in Guantanamo Bay gives 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, Heckman found three detainees
(Yasser Talal al-Zahrani 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. Heckman found a chemical mefloquine
which gives a mental breakdown that was given to detainees. Heckman knew that the detainees
didnt have the material to kill themselves with like rags or socks. He knew that the guards check
the detainees every 3 minutes. The intense level of secrecy enforced at the camp prohibited
Heckman from raising 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 law of handling POWs. 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 the detainees are not treated, but only treated if the detainee cooperate with the
interrogators. There are nine individuals which are detainees whose medical records conveys the
physical and psychological injuries they received in the 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 they had been physical
injuries from interrogators. Although we know that they 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 they had these problems occurred
when they were in prison. We need security cameras with audio to know what the interrogators
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 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
from which the detainee could have had physical or psychological injuries.
The sexual abuses that were done in Guantanamo Bay 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). Also, 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). Another example, about a detainee named Mr. Al Noaimi who was
in his cell 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 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). Not only were the detainees abused
sexually, but there was religious abuse too.
Religious abuse is done to cause anger and humiliation among the detainees. The only
time the interrogators would show respect of the religion is if the detainees cooperate 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. The
GITMO guards forcefully shaved Shafiqs head hair and beard then stripped him naked (Tipton
Three).

This time 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 abused
the detainees by shaving their beards. Keeping a beard is mandatory according to orthodox Islam
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 inhumane and sexual
abuse. 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
are respected in the Guantanamo Bay prison then the Quran should be respected in the same
level. No matter how angry a detainee is from religious abuse the detainee maybe medically
abused for severe interrogation or punishment.
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
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 governments law of POV contradicts the Geneva conventions of handling
POVs. The Geneva Convention says 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 horrible situation in Guantanamo Bay which he says he mentioned the

crimes at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo which shook the conscience of humanity. (Jamie
Tarabay Abu Ghraib Closes) as propaganda 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 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 lead 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. However, how will treating detainees humanly without interrogation help
get information out of them to save peoples lives?
The U.S military says that the detainees are treated very well, but only if they cooperate.
There are pictures of the facilities the detainees get from the U.S Department of Defense by
Army Sergeant Sara Wood. For example, there is a picture An arrow in the barracks room in
Camp 4 points the direction to Mecca, the Islam holy city, so the detainees know which way to
face if the call to prayer sounds. Camp 4 is the medium security facility within Camp Delta at
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.(Wood, Sara, SW. Military Commission). The
detainees get religious facilities in camp 4 only if they cooperate. There has been incidents of
detainees who encountered religious abuse in the camps. The pictures may just show how
detainees are given facilities, but they dont say how they earn those facilities, and when they
earn the facilities. You have to understand that the U.S military interrogates the detainee to get

essential information out of them to save other peoples lives. What is the point of keeping a
detainee well treated if they are no use of keeping. Detainees are interrogated in every way
possible to get any information out of them whether the information is false or true because
every information from the detainees counts. Of course the information has to be analyzed before
the information is utilized for military purposes. Showing sympathy for the detainees wouldnt
help you get any information from them. Any information from detainees is important, and
torture will likely force the detainees to say the truth. If torture, humiliation, and abuse is needed
to get information from the detainee to save several lives then extreme torture is needed for the
detainee. Also, the U.S military privately tortures the detainees, so Al Qaeda/Taliban/ISIS
wouldnt use the situation with detainees in Guantanamo Bay as a propaganda. The tortures will
be kept secret and not exposed. Also, POVs shouldnt be treated the same as a U.S soldier. The
detainees want to kill U.S soldiers and are willing to die for war, so torturing them is fine as
long as you dont kill them.
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.
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
Nov. 2004. Web. 02 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.defense.gov/home/features/gitmo/facilities.html>.