The adolescent enemy combatants at Gitmo

[Chewbacca]

Why have we held these children for so long? Is there a sane, reasonable purpose behind it?

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has held three child detainees at its military base in Guantanamo Bay for more than a year and the Pentagon said on Thursday it has no plans to move or free them, despite international pressure.

A defense official said doctors estimated the boys were 13-15 years old and were deemed "enemy combatants" along with about 660 prisoners being held at the base in Cuba after the U.S. invasion in Afghanistan in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America.

"There has been lots of media speculation they were going to be moved out but that's all it has been, just speculation," the official told Reuters when asked if there were plans to move or release the teen-age detainees any time soon.

A spokeswoman for the military task force holding the prisoners told Reuters last August that prison camp commander, Brig-Gen. Geoffrey Miller, would recommend the three boys be sent home, and this was confirmed by Miller a month later.

The detentions without trial at Guantanamo Bay have drawn worldwide criticism from governments and human rights groups who have urged the United States to file charges against the prisoners and to send the children home to their families.

The military official said the three were being kept separately from older prisoners in a refurbished house. They shared a large bedroom and there was also a dayroom, a kitchen and a facility where the teens received daily lessons.

"They are being tutored in their own language and are learning other skills. They are being taught to read and mathematics."

The official said there was a large yard around the house where the teens played soccer, volleyball and other games.

NO FAMILY CONTACT

He did not know whether family members had been informed of the teen-agers whereabouts but said they had been given access to Red Cross officials who visited the base.

"None of the detainees has had direct contact with their families except for one," he said, referring to an Australian man David Hicks who was allowed to speak to his father on the telephone.

In the past, senior Pentagon officials described the children as "enemy combatants" who despite their age were "very, very dangerous people" who "have stated they have killed and will kill again."

Asked whether there had been any incidents involving the children, the official said he did not believe so.

"The conditions they are being held in are humane. There have been very many media down there who have seen the conditions they live in," he said, adding that the media had not seen the children themselves.

"We are not going to hold them up for public scrutiny or ridicule," he said.

Jo Becker, advocacy director for children's rights at Human Rights Watch, voiced deep concern the children were still being held and called for their release.

"They have been in detention since the early part of last year without any direct contact with their families or knowledge about what is going to happen to them," said Becker.

She appealed to the military to free the detainees so they could be re-integrated with their communities and said there was particular worry about them being separated and detained during the vulnerable teen years.

She said other teen-agers, aged between 16-18, were also being held at the U.S. base along with the older prisoners. The military official declined to provide any details on detainees aged between 16-18.

[Timber Loftis]

Well, on one hand, Al Queda is willing to recruit teens and we all know teens can be capable of terrorism. On the other hand, I support charging them, giving them lawyers, and giving them trials of some sort.

On yet another hand, if one had three hands, I note they are getting better educations than they probably were before.

[Djinn Raffo]

Did you ever hear about those two thai kid twins who lead a rebel army? God's Army was the name of their faction. Johnny and Luther Htoo, Johnny believes that if his hair is ever cut it will mean the end of the world. Both of them are chronic chain smokers.

[Chewbacca]

I'm still at a loss on why they have been detained for so long. Heck, I dont even know if they are terrorists, they could have just been young Taliban recruits who thought they were fighting for their country and when captured bragged about how bad ass they were. I also wonder how severe their psycological conditioning was compared to what the other Gitmo detainees are allegedly subjected to. Did we subject a 13 year old to sleep and food depravation til he fessed up? I do hope not.

Granted, it appears they have been given decent accomodations. Perhaps with the education they are recieving they will learn to love America and to reject violence.

Still doesn't seem right to hold young teenagers for so long, out of touch with family. There must be a better way.

[ 01-16-2004, 04:38 AM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

[Timber Loftis]

Chewie, I saw the separate house they live in at Gitmo on one of the nightly news shows. It appears to be a lot like the other poorer houses you see in Cuba, but it has a lot of amenities those don't (including games and such).

Hot food, plenty of it, indoor plumbing, personal hygene supplies, education, and recreation..

While it might still be a cage, its a damn sight better than they would have had in the back hills of Afghanistan.

Teens in some places are still considered adults too. Im not too worried about those kids. It would be nice to know that there was some plan for these people and a clear consistant goal being accomplished by keeping them in Gitmo.

[khazadman]

In Afghanistan they would be considered adults.

[Skunk]

A prison is a prison - no matter how good the conditions are.

So we teach them mathematics and then one day release them in Afghanistan...great now they can add up but can't get a job because they have no trade - and end up working as labourers.

What good is a highly educated person when the only work around is shepherding sheep (a skill that they don't possess)?

Or are they going to be granted US citizenship where those skills will acutally be of use? You have to be pragmatic about these things - they need skills which will be of use to them if they are to return to their home country...

[ 01-17-2004, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: Skunk ]

[johnny]

Originally posted by Skunk: A prison is a prison - no matter how good the conditions are. So we teach them mathematics and then one day release them in Afghanistan...great now they can add up but can't get a job because they have no trade - and end up working as labourers. What good is a highly educated person when the only work around is shepherding sheep (a skill that they don't possess)? Or are they going to be granted US citizenship where those skills will acutally be of use? You have to be pragmatic about these things - they need skills which will be of use to them if they are to return to their home country...

And a terrorist is a terrorist, no matter how old he is. 15 year old boys are potentially a bigger threat than their adult brothers in arms, because people might not regard them dangerous. I mean, who suspects a kid ?

They are also more dangers than their older terror brothers in that they are still stupid kids who don't know squat about life, the universe and everything....so they are willing to risk things older wiser (presumably) people would have second thoughts about...they are idealistic and impressionable....perfect recruits.