The State Department’s chief spokesman doesn’t know a lot about what’s gone on at Guantanamo Bay:

QUESTION: Is the administration aware of a hunger strike that was held at Guantanamo Bay over Koranic desecration, one that led to an apology being issued by a senior U.S. officer over the camp’s loud speaker?

BOUCHER: I don’t know exactly when you’re talking about. There have been, I think, various reports and issues that have been looked into.

The State Department admits there may have been some problems. The State Department doesn’t know for sure. But if there were problems they’ve fixed them:

BOUCHER: If there were lapses, I’m sure they corrected them.

Last week, the repressive leader of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, ordered his troops to open-fire on a crowd of protestors, killing hundreds of innocent civilians. His regime is infamous for its brutality and attacks against human rights. The White House, however, has turned a blind eye to the problems and cozied up to the dictator in return for an airbase in his country.

Here are some glowing words for Mr. Karimov:

“I was recently in a meeting with the President, with a central Asian leader, with Karimov, in which he said to him, yes, I appreciate what you’ve done in the war on terrorism, this is terrific.” — then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice

“It’s a great pleasure to have an opportunity to spend time with someone with both a very keen intellect and a deep passion about the improvement of the life of the people of this country.” — former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill