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US/GuantanamoBack
[Published: Sunday June 26 2022]

 'It's time US released pictures of Guantanamo's children, waterboarding, the blood-stained walls of cells where prisoners were killed' 

 
LONDON - Over the last 20 years, Guantanamo has represented many different things to the world. It is not only the site of one of the most infamous prisons in the 'War on Terror' but joins the ranks of Alcatraz and Robben Island as one of the most notorious in history, writes MIDDLE EAST MONITOR. 
 
Outside observers may know it as a symbol of torture, rendition and indefinite detention without charge or trial; for me however, it was my home for 14 years. 
 
Every inch and crevice of the Camp has seared itself into my mind, the images of that brutal reality will forever remain firmly embedded in my mind's eye. That's why I looked on with interest as a series of secret, never-before-released photos of the original detainees arriving at the detention camp were published. 
 
The images, posted by the New York Times Sunday, show scenes of men in shackles, blindfolds, and ear protectors as they arrived at Guantanamo in 2002. Most of what was done to us there was kept safely out of the glare of the public eye, and the NYT points out that the only images ever leaked from the prison were put out by WikiLeaks in 2011. 
 
One of the first things I did was to share the NYT article with a WhatsApp group I share with former Guantanamo prisoners, asking if they could identify with what they saw in the photos. I knew already it would be triggering, but I needed to hear and know what they thought. 
 
The majority reacted the same way I did, and some could not even look, let alone comment. The trauma was too fresh. 
 
What were the reactions? The sentiments ranged from: "I wish I was treated like that", to "Is this a sick joke?". We then spoke about the things that really happened and how they happened. 
 
We also floated what the real narrative would sound like, if it were ever to be reported: "We kidnapped them, abused them, tortured them, set their life on fire, released them without charge or trial. Now we are going to sugarcoat what we did to them and use photos to lie to the world." - (ANA) -
 
AB/ANA/26 June 2022 — - -
 
 
 

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