American Civil Liberties Union

MY COMMENT:

The US military detention operation at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is NOT unlawful. If it were, it would not exist. You're frustrated at what you say is a "lack of transparency" because only the ICRC are given the access you desire, and they are sworn to secrecy and never make reports public. Of course they do this to maintain a neutral and purely humanitarian and non-political reputation, which keeps them safe and productive. You would compromise that for the sake of voyeurism. The truth is that none of the detainees ever held there were entitled to extra legal privileges, and even though they were not entitled to the protections of the Geneva Conventions, the US treats them within the "spirit of Geneva," as per Donald Rumsfeld, then Secretary of Defense in 2002. Detainees are treated with dignity and respect (not torture), and they receive FREE Quran's, prayer rugs/beads, halal and special holy Muslim holiday meals, directions to Mecca, services of a US military Muslim chaplain, white robes, beards, call to prayer, world class health, dental and eye care, recreation, library services, video games, TV, DVD's, other entertainment and sports. 731 detainees have been RELEASED from Gitmo, and NONE have been beheaded, executed, blown up, hacked to death, dragged naked and lifeless through the streets, drowned or burned alive, all things our enemies have done to us and/or our allies. Your myths about Gitmo are fading in the light of REAL information. There is no moral comparison between Gitmo and how our enemies treat their captives. Sincerely, Montgomery J. Granger, Major, US Army, Retired; former ranking US Army Medical Department officer with the Joint Detainee Operations Group, Joint Task Force 160, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 2002. Author: Saving Grace t Guantanamo Bay: A Memoir of a Citizen Warrior."