The Violation of Human Rights at Guantanamo Bay
After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the United States government has imprisoned many suspected Al Qaeda terrorists and members of Afghanistan’s Taliban regime at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center in Cuba. The purpose of this movement was to interrogate these suspects and find out whatever information they could gather to stop future terrorist attacks and crack down on other known accomplices. Since 9/11, the inhumane treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay is one of the most pressing problems that have emerged in the war on terror. The escalation of problems began when Guantanamo opened in 2002. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld approved special interrogation methods that were meant to force the detainee to reveal secret intelligence which is imperative in preventing attacks on U.S. soil. The methods included putting hoods on prisoners while chaining them excessively, stripping detainees naked while being shackled ,and exposing them to excessive humiliation. With the cruel torture of detainees exposed to the media, Guantanamo Bay was subjected to intense criticism by human rights activists, pacifists, and congressional legislators for mistreating prisoners. The maltreatment of these detainees should be addressed because the United States government is mandated to respect prisoners’ rights under the Constitution. The policy that would solve the inhumane treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay is the subject of H.R. 6615 of the House of Representatives. Representative Louie Gohmert (R-TX) introduced the bill which transports detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Washington, D.C. where the United States Supreme Court will be able to effectively manage
and hold detainees. This proposal best solves the problem of inhumane treatment because by granting detainees their constitutional rights, they are treated fairly under the law and not subjected to unnecessary torturers. By transporting...