Another Guantanamo PR disaster

In 2001, Al Jazeera cameraman Sami al-Haj was captured on the Afghan-Pakistan border. He was held as an enemy combatant and taken to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The US military charged al-Haj with being a courier for terrorists, a claim he denies. He didn’t face prosecution.

Al-Haj was just released and returned to his home in Sudan to much fanfare; he delivered a speech on national television:

“I was subjected to 130 (interrogation) sessions, more than 35 about the Al-Jazeera and they wanted me to be a spy against Al-Jazeera,” he said, adding that being a faithful Muslim he had turned down the offer.”

He went on to slam Guantanamo as the “most heinous prison mankind has ever known.” He also noted that his basic rights were deprived, most notably the right to face charges and trial.

The US is getting thrashed by the world media and populations over this story: IHT, Al-Jazeera, BBC, and Xinhua. It doesn’t matter what the government, military, analysts, or talking heads say about Guantanamo’s merits. It’s over, they lost. Guantanamo is solely a symbol of American ‘justice.’ It’s hypocritical, embarrassing, and undercuts our credibility on human rights.

Close it.