This news and video may anger some. Others will say, "It's time." Either way, the detainees held at the US Guantanamo prison, need immediate attention. Out of 166 detainees, over 100 are on a hunger strike which began February 6.
RT reports, the weakened state of the inmates has led to the authorities force-feeding them through nasal tubes – a practice which was condemned by the UN’s human rights office as a form of torture earlier this week.
“If it's perceived as torture or inhuman treatment – and it's the case, it's painful – then it is prohibited by international law,” Rupert Coville, spokesman for the UN high commissioner for human rights told AFP (American Foreign Press) on Wednesday.
The hactivist group Anonymous has set the dates of May 17 - 19 for massive ground and online protests around the world, markng the 100th day of the Guantanamo hunger strike.
“Guantanamo Bay must be closed at once, and the prisoners should be either returned to their home countries or given a fair trial in a federal court. Guantanamo Bay is an ongoing war crime. Anonymous will no longer tolerate this atrocity,” their statement said"
Here is the video:
Not all American officials are keeping silent with their opposition:
“Our task force was unanimous – we just do not believe that it fits into the laws and the ethics and the values of America to have indefinite detention, and to not allow a court of law – an adjudication of the charges against a person – to go through an orderly process,” America's former ambassador to Mexico, James Jones, told RT on Friday.
He later pointed out that officials in charge have no reason to be holding more than half of the detainees.
For those, and there are many, who are apathetic to the welfare of the Gtmo detainees, perhaps they will take more notice when finding out the prison camp situated at the US naval base in Cuba costs over $900,000 annually - per inmate, costing over $150 million per year. With sequestration cuts, surely we could find better use of that money. As Americans, surely we can do better.