Saturday, September 29, 2007

BACK FROM HELL (updated)

No it was not Mr. Al-Ghizzawi that was released a few days ago. I got back late thursday from my latest trip to Gitmo. Mr. Al-Ghizzawi is still alive, barely, and since no one "in charge" seems to be inclined to try to save his life ... . I don't figure he will be with the living much longer.
So what do you say to a man sitting across the table from you who is dying before your eyes because of the policies of your country? Somehow "sorry" doesn't quite cut it.... So I promised Mr. Al-Ghizzawi that his death will not go unnoticed... doesn't seem like much but until I come up with another plan that will have to do.
I will tell you this, the government will not be able to claim that Mr. Al-Ghizzawi's death is an "apparent suicide" like they did with the last death... you might not have even heard about that death, or if you did you probably didn't think twice about it after you heard it was an "apparent suicide".... just another dead detainee?
Unfortunately it was an "apparent suicide" because the military can get away with making bullshit announcements like that. The man (the detainee) died of medical neglect.. like Mr. Al-Ghizzawi he also suffered from Hepatitis B and TB and was not being treated. He got weaker and weaker and then died, alone in his cell.
The government can get away with calling it an "apparent suicide" because that detainee was not represented by a lawyer so there was no one to raise hell on his behalf.... and well lets be honest, no one in this country that is in a position to do anything about the men at Guantanamo(the courts and/or congress) gives a shit. I said in this posting earlier today that "not one reporter in our so called fourth branch has even looked into that death... but since two of the other branches are sitting by the sidelines while the executive runs roughshod over our constitution why should the fourth branch be any different?" Shortly after I posted this I received a call from AP's Ben Fox... he reminded me that he has been trying to do a story about this man but cannot get people to talk on the record, can't get any records and cannot get confirmations when someone does talk...
So I am updating my post to let all of you know that someone is at least trying to do the story. Thank you Ben.
Anyway Mr. Al-Ghizzawi's death will not be as quiet.... I promise.

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