This weekend saw the beginnings of what I believe will be the biggest non-story regarding our continued actions against global terror. I am referring to the outrage being expressed by human rights oriented non-governmental organizations over the treatment of the 144 al Qaeda prisoners being held at the United States' Guantanamo Bay naval base.
Severe shock was registered from the usual crowd when photographs were released showing the prisoners - or "detainees" as the Defense Department refers to them -manacled at both hand and foot, fitted with heavy goggles, mouths covered with surgical masks and hearing impaired through the application of ear muffs.
Almost immediately after the publication of the photos, Amnesty International's medical officer Jim West was quoted by the BBC's Web site claiming that, "There is no obvious explanation of these measures except an attempt to degrade the man."
In typical non-governmental organization hyperbolic fashion, Helen Bamber of the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture showed outrage at the "sensory deprivation" forced upon the terrorist prisoners and rued that they would all probably "have panic attacks, mood swings and terrible nightmares" as a result of their treatment. She acts as if the prospect of being held accountable for their heinous actions didn't already force such anxieties to arise in the prisoners.
All of this altruistic concern left U.S. officials assuring the world that its oldest and most constant republic was not pulling a China by torturing its prisoners and that furthermore, when the prisoners are in their cells, they are given relatively good treatment. That includes three culturally appropriate meals, calls to prayer put on over the public address system and, of course, a roof over their six foot by eight foot cell.
The rationale for the shackling and "sensory deprivation" of the detainees during transport was concern for U.S. personnel handling these most dangerous prisoners and statements given by some of the al Qaeda detainees that they would try as hard as they could to kill Americans while in custody.
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It will not surprise you that such explanations will most likely not be enough to satisfy groups such as Amnesty International, mainly because if they ever are satisfied they will lose all of their leftover relevancy.
All of this does raise an interesting question: how should members of this new category of prisoner be treated? For the sake of argument, let us assume that the restraints and treatment imposed on the prisoners was indeed inhumane and designed to, as Mr. West put it, "degrade the man."
What is wrong with a little degrading? Surely, the very experience of being in any prison should at least be a little degrading. Why should those that joined in paramilitary action and terrorism against the United States and its forces expect pleasurable treatment when they were caught?
I am not advocating torture or random beatings, although I am sure some that we hold deserve them, but rather an understanding that a little harsh treatment is well within the bounds of justice and morality at this point.
Being put in a small, but adequate cage, fed, given consideration to your religious beliefs, sheltered from the sun and restrained so that you and your cohorts cannot inflict greater suffering on your lawful captors is not wrong.
So, why is this the biggest non-story of the war to this point? Simply, because U.S. citizens and the citizens of the world are already yawning at the contention that somehow spartan treatment is akin to immoral treatment. It doesn't take a degree from UNM for people to see that such treatment makes good practical and moral sense.
It would behoove those that oppose the type of treatment being administered at Guantanamo to remember that just a minefield away lies a land where even bringing up the question of treatment of prisoners can result in your sudden "vanishing." Maybe they should think twice before comparing limited and just treatment administered by an open and democratic country to the unlimited and tyrannous justice of a murderous one-man regime.
by Michael Carrasco
Daily Lobo Columnist
Questions, comments or suggestions can be sent to Michael Carrasco at mjc_carrasco@hotmail.com.
