Three years after America opened its prison camp at Guantanamo Bay to house “the worst of the worst,” most of the 550 prisoners are no longer considered “of significant intelligence value,” and not one prisoner has been formally convicted of a crime. Nevertheless, AP reports the U.S. government will seek funds for a $25 million permanent prison facility, including $1.7 million for a psychiatric wing to deal with mental health.
No doubt, the new facility will continue the tradition established by the Bush administration of looking out for the mental health of detainees. Mentally healthy methods of interrogation employed so far (that we know about) have included:
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Leaving prisoners “in their own feces” and chaining them “in ice-cold or super-hot cells.”
Chaining detainees in a fetal position on the floor with no chair, food or water, often “for 18-24 hours or more.”
Draping Arab prisoners in an Israeli flag while playing loud music with strobe lights flashing.
Exposing prisoners to stress positions, isolation, hooding, sensory deprivation and terrifying dogs.
On the advice of White House legal counsel Alberto Gonzales, denying Gitmo detainees the coverage of the Geneva Convention prohibiting torture.
No wonder freed prisoners said they tried to commit suicide due to the draconian conditions.
For the record, America’s abhorrent methods have hindered the job of acquiring useful intelligence from the detainees. The methods have produced mostly “bad and inadmissible evidence,” often “destroying” any chance to prosecute detainees, according to memos signed by FBI agents.
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