Abusing human rights
Mar 13, 2004
THE UNITED States has released five British citizens from Guantanamo Bay. The British police interviewed them on arrival in London and then freed them for lack of evidence.
THE UNITED States has released five British citizens from Guantanamo Bay. The British police interviewed them on arrival in London and then freed them for lack of evidence.
Almost certainly these were innocent men who had nothing to do with al-Qaeda and who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. One was an Islamic aid worker who was arrested in Pakistan and who fled Afghanistan before the war started. How could he be an ‘illegal combatant’?
The Americans are still detaining another four British citizens at Guantanamo. Presumably there is concrete evidence that those four were actually involved with al-Qaeda.
If half the British citizens were innocent of any direct involvement with al-Qaeda, we can assume that the same applies to the other detainees and that at least 300 captives at Guantanamo are completely innocent.
This makes the American decision to deny a fair trial to the detainees appear even more iniquitous. This is a grave abuse of human rights.
Ends
Almost certainly these were innocent men who had nothing to do with al-Qaeda and who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. One was an Islamic aid worker who was arrested in Pakistan and who fled Afghanistan before the war started. How could he be an ‘illegal combatant’?
The Americans are still detaining another four British citizens at Guantanamo. Presumably there is concrete evidence that those four were actually involved with al-Qaeda.
If half the British citizens were innocent of any direct involvement with al-Qaeda, we can assume that the same applies to the other detainees and that at least 300 captives at Guantanamo are completely innocent.
This makes the American decision to deny a fair trial to the detainees appear even more iniquitous. This is a grave abuse of human rights.
Ends