Phony Guantanamo Recidivism Numbers?

Written by Thomas R. Eddlem
Tuesday, 27 January 2009 08:16

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/724


The Department of Defense claimed in a dramatic press briefing on January 13 that “61 in all former Guantanamo detainees are confirmed or suspected of returning to the fight” of terrorism. This figure has been repeated incessantly since that time by the mass media, often without the “or suspected of” qualifier in the statement.

Now experts in the matter are suggesting that the Pentagon study exaggerated the number, as has happened in the past.

Seton Hall Law School Professor Mark Denbeaux has authored a study on the Pentagon’s claim, including an exposé of exaggerated Pentagon statements back to March 2004 about Guantanamo detainees who allegedly went “back into the battlefield” against Americans. Denbeaux found that some so-called Guantanamo recidivists had never appeared on any official list of Guantanamo prisoners. Although the government number has been more marked by a lack of names and specifics, Denbeaux proves that the majority of alleged recidivists who were named by the Pentagon had not conducted attacks against Americans or coalition members. Counted among the recidivists are people who had been arrested or killed by governments in Russia, Turkey, and Morocco for unspecified reasons.

Most troubling of all is Denbeaux’s reprint of a July 12, 2007 Pentagon press release entitled ““Former Guantanamo Detainees Who Have Returned to the Fight.” The press release, which was removed from the Defense Department website, included non-combatants among those who were alleged to be conducting “anti-coalition militant activities.” The press release read in part: "Although the US government does not generally track ex-GTMO detainees after repatriation or resettlement, we are aware of dozens of cases where they have returned to militant activities, participated in anti-US propaganda or other activities through intelligence gathering and media reports. (Examples: Mehsud suicide bombing in Pakistan; Tipton Three and the Road to Guantanamo; Uighurs in Albania).”

That the Defense Department would lump in the “Tipton Three” is revealing. These three British friends were imprisoned unjustly for two years in Guantanamo and have lived without incident in England since their release. Their “anti-coalition militant activity” consisted solely of consenting to be interviewed for a critically acclaimed video documentary on their imprisonment, The Road to Guantanamo. Denbeaux writes: "For the Department of Defense, however, the men’s participation in The Road to Guantánamo — in the absence of any other allegations — appears to be enough to justify their inclusion among the ‘at least thirty former GTMO detainees have taken part in anti-coalition militant activities after leaving U.S. detention.’”

by imprisoning and torturing them and that "fact" is now being used to suggest we shouldn't release the rest of the people being imprisoned and tortured.

>>That the Defense Department would lump in the “Tipton Three” is revealing. These three British friends were imprisoned unjustly for two years in Guantanamo and have lived without incident in England since their release. Their “anti-coalition militant activity” consisted solely of consenting to be interviewed for a critically acclaimed video documentary on their imprisonment, The Road to Guantanamo. Denbeaux writes: "For the Department of Defense, however, the men’s participation in The Road to Guantánamo — in the absence of any other allegations — appears to be enough to justify their inclusion among the ‘at least thirty former GTMO detainees have taken part in anti-coalition militant activities after leaving U.S. detention.’”<<


Even if they had engaged in real "anti-coalition militant activity" after they were released (rather than the misclassified activity cited), it wouldn't have been a "returning to the fight" of terrorism since we created the activity by imprisoning them and treating them like terrorists in the first place.

hell i lived thru vietnam where pentagon lying was a daily occurrence