The first letters from Briton facing the death penalty at Camp X-Ray

[donsu]

http://www.sundayherald.com/35128


THEY are the first letters to see the outside world from the 21st century's Devil's Island -- the US military prison camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

-snip-

Begg, who is 35, has been detained without charge since January 2001, has faced gruelling interrogations, been denied access to lawyers, confined in brutal conditions and now awaits a military tribunal which could well result in a short trip to a custom-built death house for execution.

-snip-

Although he appears reluctant to worry his family, he does write about some of the more unpleasant aspects of life in Camp X-Ray. 'The camel spider is the only 10-legged spider in the world, and, I believe, it is not an arachnid (technically not a spider). But it grows to bigger than the human hand-size, moves like a race-car and has a bite that causes flesh to decay if untreated. In the summer there were plenty here, running into cells and climbing over people; one person was bitten and had to be treated. Apart from that there is the usual melee of scorpions, beetles, mice and other insects.'

-snip-

Another letter describes how he has been given books to read, including the biography of Malcolm X, Black Hawk Down (the story of America's botched military involvement in Somalia), Churchill's life and books on the US Civil War, Vietnam and the War of Independence -- 'which', Begg adds sarcastically, 'they won by sheer luck'.
-snip-
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his family goes on to say they worry about his depression and what it might make him do.

Are we proud of ourselves yet?

[Allah Akbar]

1. Did you see his "war crime"?

His name was found on a scrap of paper in Afghanistan that showed he might have contributed money to Al Queda (alledgedly)

Yep, he is a regular Himmler, isn't he?

Applying the term War Criminal to any poor bastard that might have been an enemy kind of cheapens the term, IMO

[wtmusic]

2. No tribunal

the 'commission' which will try the detainees is all commissioned officers--he may be kept from attending his own trial--his appointed counsel may be prohibited from telling him what even happened at his trial--and there is no judicial review of the outcome.

Unbelievable.

[Mandate My Ass]

3. Knowing what is going on there

is enough to make an atheist like myself start to pray. It's just chilling and no good will ever come of what we're doing there.