Who Are the Detainees?
During the Afghanistan War of 2001-2002, the Bush administration captured 775 Afghan prisoners and transferred them to the detainment camp at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Since that time, several hundred detainees have been released. The Guantanamo detainees have been described in various contexts as suspected terrorists, militants, and al-Qaeda agents, but only 40% of detainees are accused of belonging to a terrorist organization, and only 8% are accused of taking up arms for al-Qaeda.
- Read more: Guantanamo: Guilt by Association?
Torture at Guantanamo?
Former Guantanamo detainees, as well as some employees, have reported use of torture techniques similar to those put to use at Abu Ghraib, bringing to mind an obvious question: Does this represent a new, secret government policy with respect to interrogations?
Unexplained Killings
Some former detainees have also described unexplained killings at Guantanamo Bay, though these are difficult to document given the overall aura of secrecy surrounding the prison complex.
- Read more: Guantanamo Bay Suicides
The Current Status of Guantanamo Bay Prisoners
In Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Guantanamo Bay detainees are protected by the Geneva Conventions, and struck down a Bush administration plan that called for the remaining detainees to be tried in top-secret tribunals. Last year, Congress passed the Military Commissions Act providing a due process system for Guantanamo detainees. The Pentagon has indicated that fewer than 100 prisoners will be tried under the new system. It is not yet clear whether detainees not tried under the Military Commissions Act will be immediately released or further detained indefinitely without trial, but the Hamdan precedent and public opinion make the latter option unlikely.
- Read more: The Military Commissions Act of 2006