A voice from Gitmo's darkness
The way this man was treated is not only appalling and barbaric, it underscores the central role israelis play in America's so-called 'War on Terror.'
January 11, 2007 | Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba — I AM WRITING from the darkness of the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo in the hope that I can make our voices heard by the world. My hand quivers as I hold the pen.In January 2002, I was picked up in Pakistan, blindfolded, shackled, drugged and loaded onto a plane flown to Cuba. When we got off the plane in Guantanamo, we did not know where we were. They took us to Camp X-Ray and locked us in cages with two buckets — one empty and one filled with water. We were to urinate in one and wash in the other.
At Guantanamo, soldiers have assaulted me, placed me in solitary confinement, threatened to kill me, threatened to kill my daughter and told me I will stay in Cuba for the rest of my life. They have deprived me of sleep, forced me to listen to extremely loud music and shined intense lights in my face. They have placed me in cold rooms for hours without food, drink or the ability to go to the bathroom or wash for prayers. They have wrapped me in the Israeli flag and told me there is a holy war between the Cross and the Star of David on one hand and the Crescent on the other. They have beaten me unconscious.
What I write here is not what my imagination fancies or my insanity dictates. These are verifiable facts witnessed by other detainees, representatives of the Red Cross, interrogators and translators.
During the first few years at Guantanamo, I was interrogated many times. My interrogators told me that they wanted me to admit that I am from Al Qaeda and that I was involved in the terrorist attacks on the United States. I told them that I have no connection to what they described. I am not a member of Al Qaeda. I did not encourage anyone to go fight for Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden have done nothing but kill and denigrate a religion. I never fought, and I never carried a weapon. I like the United States, and I am not an enemy. I have lived in the United States, and I wanted to become a citizen.
I know that the soldiers who did bad things to me represent themselves, not the United States. And I have to say that not all American soldiers stationed in Cuba tortured us or mistreated us.
There were soldiers who treated us very humanely. Some even cried when they witnessed our dire conditions. Once, in Camp Delta, a soldier apologized to me and offered me hot chocolate and cookies. When I thanked him, he said, "I do not need you to thank me." I include this because I do not want readers to think that I fault all Americans.
But, why, after five years, is there no conclusion to the situation at Guantanamo? For how long will fathers, mothers, wives, siblings and children cry for their imprisoned loved ones? For how long will my daughter have to ask about my return? The answers can only be found with the fair-minded people of America.
I would rather die than stay here forever, and I have tried to commit suicide many times. The purpose of Guantanamo is to destroy people, and I have been destroyed. I am hopeless because our voices are not heard from the depths of the detention center.
If I die, please remember that there was a human being named Jumah at Guantanamo whose beliefs, dignity and humanity were abused. Please remember that there are hundreds of detainees at Guantanamo suffering the same misfortune. They have not been charged with any crimes. They have not been accused of taking any action against the United States.
Show the world the letters I gave you. Let the world read them. Let the world know the agony of the detainees in Cuba.
May GOD give us the wisdom, courage and strength to strive for change in ourselves, to guide us and to guide others through us, and make us realize and fulfill the responsibilities we owe to our spouses, children, families, communities, and the living and future generations.
those Americans do this to other people and believe themselves to be on the good and righteous side?
How deep does their indoctrination go?
In the long run their own conscience will haunt them.
It happened in Vietnam and it drove so many veterans insane.
I think people who can do this to others and still continue to sleep, play with their children and grandchildren, relax in the sun, walk the dog.....must be seriously disturbed in the head. I mean people like Bush.
As for the soldiers, I have no idea how anyone can do that to another human being never mind an animal or an insect. They must be deeply scared....maybe it is true, all that violence on US TV, those video games and all the other military BS really does make people into clones without souls or hearts.
Nice to see that not all of them were like that, maybe there is hope.
“There is almost no scientific evidence to back up the U.S. intelligence community’s use of controversial interrogation techniques in the fight against terrorism, and experts believe some painful and coercive approaches could hinder the ability to get good information, according to a new report from an intelligence advisory group.”
... Though it may be relatively recent for the USA to use torture so openly, US proxies/puppets and clients have been using torture for decades with America's silent permission.
And what did the US learn from all this experience? That torture is more dreaded by the public than death, and that torturing some to scare the many into compliance/apathy/futility works.
This is why torture is no secret. This is why Camp X-ray had its prisoners on display in open cages for the world to see. The goals of torture are mainly effected at populations at large, at the expense of the unlucky few who are made an example of.
You are right.
Will it work in the long run?
Will the whole world be bashed into compliance by the fear of torture or bombings?
Look at Palestine and at Nicaragua.
The Palestinians persevered in spite of being daily victimized by torture, shootings and bombings.
The Nicaraguans have newly elected a socialist government in spite of their experiences with American financed death squads and torturers.
The courage of those people gives me hope for humanity.