Guantánamo: The United States Declares War on Human Rights

Author: (British) David Rose
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: This book is a comprehensive evaluation and ruthless indictment of the U.S. government. The D detention camp at Guantanamo Bay is the most controversial prison in the world. In Guantanamo, for every person you detain, you create another 10 terrorists. Guantanamo is like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—it is a focal point of anger and political action. This is a book that formally describes Guantanamo in an unusual way. The 600 detainees held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are trapped in a legal black hole. Are they really, as the Bush administration insists, the "most resilient core" of al-Qaeda terrorists and brutal killers suspected of murdering thousands of Americans? Is it still necessary to continue detaining them in the war on terror to prevent more murders and obtain valuable intelligence? To find the answers to these questions, renowned journalist David Rose visited the D detention camp at Guantanamo Bay and interviewed several guards, officials, medical personnel, and prison commanders. In early 2004, he also interviewed several detainees who had recently been released from there. They described an oppressive atmosphere filled with isolation, torture, terrifying accusations, and physical abuse. This series of investigations shocked the world. Through it, we can understand that the primary issue in the war on terror should be the issue of human rights.
Guantanamo—In 1903, as one of the spoils of the Spanish-American War, the United States obtained an "indefinite lease" over this piece of Cuban territory. In early 2004, David Rose asked a senior Pentagon official: "With so many places in the world, why did the United States choose this small enclave in Cuba to detain prisoners? This isolated overseas location is not easily accessible." That official replied: "Legal experts told us that we can do whatever we want there. That place is not subject to the jurisdiction of any court."
(Note: The original text contains some inconsistencies and repeated sentences, which have been adjusted for clarity and coherence in the translation.)