Gitmo Update: Entertaining, Educating, Providing for Detainees and Their Welfare

Equal Justice Under Law Even for Terrorist Detainees

(@ Gitmo, Cuba)

Introduction from Trump’s SOU message:

Trump reverses Obama: Gitmo to Stay Open

Highlights from this update on detainees at Gitmo, despite Trump’s previous hardline rhetoric and verbosity about being tough on terrorists in our custody. This must be his definition of “torture works,” right? 

Recall this from Trump re: Waterboarding:

Trump: “Waterboarding and Torture Works”

(Psst: No, Mr. Trump, it does not)

The post for today:

There are currently 40 war on terror detainees being held at the Naval  base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (Gitmo), down from a high of 677 inmates in 2003, under Geo. W. Bush’s watch.

Trump has said he wants to keep Guantanamo open to ensure the government has “all necessary power to detain terrorists, wherever we chase them down, wherever we find them.” However, the facility hasn’t received a single new prisoner since Trump took office.

Regardless of the size of the inmate population, the Geneva Conventions require that detainees “receive mental and intellectual stimulation” while they’re there. 

The Pentagon notes that it provides access to satellite TV, indoor and outdoor recreation, a library, and detainees can choose from nearly 300 video games, split about 60/40 between PlayStation 3, and Nintendo DS titles.

They also take classes, in a variety of subjects — e.g., offered by Global Dimensions LLC a veteran-owned defense contractor based in Fredericksburg, VA. 

They were awarded a $3.3 million contract to provide the coming year’s teachers, according to government documents.

Between 2000 and 2015, Global Dimensions earned more than $1.1 million from contracts at Gitmo.

Global Dimensions CEO Chris Newton did not respond to a request for a comment on the new contract, nor did the two Navy contracting officers overseeing the program. Global Dimensions “shall develop the curriculum, furnish instruction materials, and instruct seminars to detainees on a variety of subjects,” the original solicitation issued by the Navy explains. Those subjects will include literacy, art, life skills/general education, nutrition, and horticulture.

Instructors will need to be fluent in Arabic and/or Pashto, as well as English. They will also have to be male — “due to cultural and religious considerations,” the contract statement of work (SOW) for the solicitation specifies.

Also, inmates “shall be restrained, and guards will be present at all times within the classroom.” Note: The Navy says: “There have not been any incidents of assault on an instructor by the detainees.”

My 2 cents: Who says the U.S. mistreats detainees? Ha…

Interesting isn’t it, Mr. Trump – why the silence? Cat got your tongue? Oops.

Thanks for stopping by.