Guantanamo+Bay+and+it's+Prisoners

**By Alex Oeschger** [] - Obama's Promises and outlook on the Guantanamo Bay situation.

[] - Obama seems like he's made empty promises by not settling this issue yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW65vlzLWHg&feature=related - It has already been a year...

[] - Shows a Visual example of how interrogations go at Guantanamo Bay and also it is stated that the prisoners have few rights if any. Also, whether there was evidence of their conviction is not proven through a judicial court.

 **Background Information:** The Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba has been around for around a century. Long ago in the late 1800's, it was used as a naval base for the Spanish-American War. Until 9/11, it was also used for a detention center for Cuban and Haitian refugees. It holds very dangerous detainees with some of them considered to be terrorists. They're dangerous because of what they did to get into Guantanamo. The prisoners there are only assumed guilty and called "enemy combatants," They are only assumed guilty because they have no right to a trial, but It's obvious to the prosecutors who send them to prison. Whatever the prisoners did was extremely serious because theres no other reason we should keep hold them accountable without rights. They may be kept there for as long as possible without access to a counsel, attorney, or a lawyer. Strangely, they are "stripped of legal protections given to citizens of any nationality under U.S. and international law." In addition, they have been denied rights in being prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions. Therefore, holding these bad people here actually violates the rights to prisoners in which is understood by international law. The only reason we didn't do anything about it was because while under the G.W. Bush era, the administration refused to let them go or at least change their policies on this subject. The government referred to these detainees as enemy combatants which means the only way to get out of prison is by being proven innocent. Until then, they are deemed guilty of all charges and offenses. The prisoners there are exposed to various types of painful experiences. They have to deal with physical abuse, isolation, exposure to aggressive dogs, obnoxiously loud music, especially used to interrupt prayer time, and being exposed to violent weather. On top of that they face being forced to withstand hot and cold temperatures, being chained in extremely difficult positions, denied food/water, and even forced to urinate upon themselves. The list just goes on and on, becoming more and more inappropriate. The guards can even be low enough to ridicule their religious beliefs. Human rights organizations, such as the Red Cross, wanted to appear here and see what the conditions were like, but were not permitted by the government. Shockingly, there have even been rumors of our country abducting foreign nationals and torturing them, eventually bringing them to Guantanamo. Obviously this is why other countries may view us badly to the point of possibly being terrorists. This is also why Obama says he would end this prison. Clearly, this whole situation has had an impact on many people, including other countries, and why it's such an important issue today. Presently, it is being worked on, but nothing has been officially done yet. []

**What it's like to be a prisoner:** "They used to beat everybody. There was a man — he was really old and couldn’t see and couldn’t hear. If the guards told him something to do and he didn’t do it because he couldn’t hear, they went into his cage and beat him up. They did this for a couple minutes, and after that they took him out and brought him to isolation." This is pretty ridiculous and I'm glad I came across the article that had this quote, because it clearly indicates how abusive these Guantanamo guards actually are. Prisoners lived in small cages with minimal things other than clothing. It was pure isolation. For guards, "there doesn't need to be a reason." They even used pepper spray. []

**The Main issue: **During his campaign for President, Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay, ban torture, and change our harsh interrogation methods. Many of the detainees, who are quite dangerous, have not received a trial or gone through adjudication. Some of the evidence may be tainted, but apparently it's still true. Obama says America needs to regain its "moral stature" in the world. If combating terrorism is an American value, then why do we seem like hypocrites? The torture at Guantanamo Bay, represents terrorism. Human rights activists have made their mark on Obama showing that this issue needs to be resolved. Personally, I think it should have been resolved right away and considered to be a priority. I don't think America wants other countries to think we are the bad guy. In 2009, Obama stated that he would finally close Guantanamo Bay and review the status of its prisoners. “President Obama’s actions today will restore the moral authority and strengthen the national security of the United States. It is vital to the safety of our men and women in uniform that the United States never sanction the use of interrogation methods that we would find unacceptable if inflicted by an enemy against captured Americans." This was stated to be done over a year ago. Up to date, he has not yet followed through with this promise. Apparently, now he is realizing that it isn't as easy as it seems. Where is he supposed to place formidable terrorists instead, if not releasing some? Maybe that's why its been taking so long but this is a reason why he's the President. Obama rejected the choice between national security and our ideals; he thinks our nation will be stronger for it.