ICRC says hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay "serious"

[deminks]

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2005-10-07T190013Z_01_SPI764615_RTRUKOC_0_UK-RIGHTS-GUANTANAMO-CROSS.xml

GENEVA (Reuters) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Friday the situation was serious inside the U.S. Guantanamo Bay prison camp, where a number of prisoners are on hunger strike.

But ICRC spokeswoman Antonella Notari declined to comment on Thursday's statement by a defence lawyer that the action involved 200 of 500 prisoners and that 21 were being force-fed.

Amnesty International and human rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith, a lawyer representing some 40 detainees, said on Thursday that U.S. authorities were keeping 21 alive by forcing food into their stomachs through tubes pushed up their noses.

The prisoners were on the 56th day of their strike and were shackled to their beds 24 hours a day to stop them removing the tubes, Stafford Smith said.

[CottonBear]

1. This is inhumane:

"The prisoners were on the 56th day of their strike and were shackled to their beds 24 hours a day to stop them removing the tubes, Stafford Smith said."
******************************************************************
I suppose they have catheters and bed pans too since they're shackled 24-7.

[Disturbed]

2. Sen Durbin was correct.

Damn, too bad he caved.

[The Stranger]

4. Durbin's conduct did more damage than anything.

By apologizing, he emboldened the war criminals and fascists that are brining about this injustice. He made others fearful to speak out.

[The Stranger]

3. Indefensible.

[donkeyotay]

5. 56th day... yeah, it's been all over the news.

U.S. authorities were keeping 21 alive by forcing food into their stomachs through tubes pushed up their noses.

The prisoners were on the 56th day of their strike and were shackled to their beds 24 hours a day to stop them removing the tubes, Stafford Smith said.

What this nation has become under the benevolent rule of compassionate conservatism.

[PaulaFarrell]

6. OK I'm resolved

Tomorrow I'm going to start e-mailing the news joints to find out why this isn't being covered. Remember Bobby Sands? He was on the news every day.

[The Stranger]

7. This is fascist -- freakish, Stalinist, behavior.

At least the Khemer Rouge killed people after torturing them.

If there are physicians involved in this, they should have their licenses revoked and then be prosecuted, with the rest of these war criminals.

[struggle4progress]

8. ICRC concern at Guantanamo strike

By Adam Brookes
BBC Pentagon correspondent

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it is worried about a hunger strike inside the US detention camps at Guantanamo Bay.

The ICRC spokeswoman, Antonella Notari, said the situation there was serious, and her organisation was following it with concern.

But she would not give details of what the ICRC had found during its visits.

The ICRC rarely takes its concerns to the public, but it has done over these hunger strikers. <snip>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4321324.stm

[NVMojo]

9. This is awful! Bush probably wants them to die!!!!

[electricray]

10. Those prisoners are being treated wonderfully...

Don't you realize it is chicken breasts and rice pilaf that is being crammed up their noses? :sarcasm:

[hootinholler]

17. Don't forget the "Noodles Jefferson!" n/t

[K8-EEE]

11. What? Turning Down The Glazed Chicken With TWO

...kinds of fruit?

What else could they possibly want?

[Spurt]

12. If Saddam had....

....shackled starving prisoners 24/7 such as these ones are, it would be on his list of crimes.

I also note....

"Clive Stafford Smith, a lawyer representing some 40 detainees"

That's fair representation isn't it?

1 hour of lawyering a week for each prisoner. Yes PRISONER. That detainee bullshit enrages me.

There is no way we will ever know who is/isn't bad in Gitmo with such representation.

Also,
Gitmo rep said....
"28 prisoners were on hunger strike, meaning they had missed nine consecutive meals"

Lawyer said....
"prisoners were on the 56th day of their strike"

Nine meals missed in 56 days?
Force feeding required after only missing 9 meals?
At least one of them is a liar.

Great! Another nail to hammer into the coffin. ;-)

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Once agin, if the ICRC is going public

this is really bad, the ICRC does not go public...

[EFerrari]

14. Exactly. Oh god, what are we doing to these people.

Let us be the ones who said, we don't agree. Let us, just for one minute, scream.

I shouldn't read LBN. :cry:

[HuffleClaw]

15. yeah, this has gotten SOOOOO much coverage !

ok, just kidding. i've seen MAYBE three stories, none in us news sources.

[PsychoDad]

16. Oppression is worse than murder.

And these brothers understand this all to well now.

May Allah have mercy upon these, my brothers, this month of Ramadan, and may the rest of the Islamic world see this and understand that these are the "demokkkratic values" that amerikkka is trying to "sell" to them and the rest of the world.

Once again the crusaders demonstrate the culture of lies and compassionate conservatism so well.

[CountAllVotes]

18. god this is so sick & disgusting!

We are a nation of torturers.

How can they allow this to continue and act as if we are a "moral" people?

I am shocked alright, shocked and sickened.

:kick: