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Guantanamo Saudi 'kills himself'
Reuters ^

Posted on 05/30/2007 8:29:17 PM PDT by Omega Man II

Guantanamo Saudi 'kills himself'

Reuters | Thursday, 31 May 2007

A Saudi Arabian prisoner has died of an apparent suicide at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, the US military said.

"The detainee was found unresponsive and not breathing in his cell by guards. The detainee was pronounced dead by a physician after all lifesaving measures had been exhausted," the US Southern Command in Miami said in a statement.

The military did not indicate how the prisoner died nor release his name.

He is the fourth detainee to die of apparent suicide at the detention camp, which opened in January 2002 and holds about 380 foreign terrorist suspects on the US naval base in southeastern Cuba.

Three other prisoners – two Saudis and a Yemeni – hanged themselves with clothing and bedding in their cells last June and their deaths are still under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

"The remains of the deceased detainee are being treated with the utmost respect. A cultural advisor is assisting the Joint Task Force to ensure that the remains are handled in a culturally sensitive and religiously appropriate manner," the Southern Command said.

It said the Naval Criminal Investigative Service had begun an investigation.

In Washington, Amnesty International advocacy director Jumana Musa said news of another suicide at the detention camp was not surprising.

"When you look at the conditions that people are in, so many people are in isolation so many people held without any kind of certainty. It's a really extreme result of what's a really extreme situation," she said.

"I don't know how many more indications need to be there that Guantanamo is not a good idea."

The latest death comes eight days after a new commander took over the military task force that runs the controversial detention centre. Rear Adm. Mark Buzby took command of the prison camp last week, replacing Rear Adm. Harry Harris, who was new to the job when the previous suicides took place.

The United States has faced persistent criticism over its indefinite detention at Guantanamo of men it considers "unlawful enemy combatants" not entitled to the protections granted prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions.

It opened the prison camp shortly after the September 11 attacks that killed 3,000 people in 2001, and says the prison is needed to prevent dangerous al Qaeda and Taliban fighters from returning to the battlefield, and to extract information that could help prevent future attacks.

Human rights activists, who have urged Washington to close the prison, denounced the earlier deaths as a sign of desperation while the US military said they were acts of "asymmetrical warfare."

"In the last year, the conditions at Guantanamo have become even more bleak: the military has increasingly held people in solitary confinement and continued to refuse to allow independent psychological evaluations. The United States government is responsible for this man's death and must be held accountable," Wells Dixon, staff attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York, said in a statement.

A military tribunal was scheduled to convene on Monday at Guantanamo to arraign two prisoners on war crimes. The earlier suicides also occurred days before a war crimes tribunal was to convene and forced a postponement of those hearings.

The man who died was not one of those charged in the tribunals, an official said.

The two captives scheduled for arraignment on Monday are Omar Khadr, a Canadian accused of murdering a US soldier in a firefight in Afghanistan, and Salim Ahmed Hamdan, who was Osama bin Laden's driver in Afghanistan and who won a landmark US Supreme Court ruling in June last year.

In that decision, the Supreme Court struck down as illegal the initial tribunal system created by President George W. Bush to try terrorism suspects at Guantanamo. Congress authorized a new military tribunal system last year but defence lawyers said it was as flawed as the old one.

Khadr, who was allowed for the first time last week to see a Canadian lawyer, fired his US military and civilian lawyers on Wednesday.

"He is very distrustful of American lawyers, I think with good reason, because the system is unfair," said the dismissed military lawyer, Marine Lt. Col. Colby Vokey.


TOPICS: War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alreuters; buhbye; clubgitmo; enemedia; gitmo; reutersbias; suicide; suspectedterrorist; waronterrorism
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To: Omega Man II

And I’m sure there is someone, somewhere that cares.


21 posted on 05/30/2007 8:48:34 PM PDT by doc1019 (Fred Thompson '08)
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To: Omega Man II
""When you look at the conditions that people are in, so many people are in isolation so many people held without any kind of certainty. It's a really extreme result of what's a really extreme situation," she said.

What about what their bretheren did to Nick Berg and many others? Amnesty International is a sick joke. Their compassion is one sided.

22 posted on 05/30/2007 8:49:54 PM PDT by blackbart.223 (I live in Northern Nevada. Reid doesn't represent me.)
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To: Omega Man II
While there’s no cause for grief, there is a question that needs asking.

How did he kill himself considering the scrutiny these dirtbags are under and of even greater importance is there any way we can assist the others to follow the same path to the fires of Hel....er paradise.

23 posted on 05/30/2007 8:50:23 PM PDT by Dr.Zoidberg (Mohammedanism - Bringing you only the best of the 6th century for fourteen hundred years.)
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To: blackbart.223
Oh, how sad. Let us all send flowers to mourn the passing of the unfortunate soul. My selection of tribute flower is also edible for the poor confined souls. Maybe they can all have a meal in tribute to their passing comrade. The Oleander flower is a beautiful specimen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleander May they enjoy the flower they consume.;-)
24 posted on 05/30/2007 8:50:56 PM PDT by 9422WMR ("This will make parents, students, faculty and visitors FEEL SAFE on our campus")
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To: Omega Man II
"... gee, you are a good sport ..." /Carlin
25 posted on 05/30/2007 8:52:28 PM PDT by NonValueAdded (Fred Thompson in 2008 - there is no doubt about it!)
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To: HarmlessLovableFuzzball

bullseye!


26 posted on 05/30/2007 8:52:34 PM PDT by neverhillorat (HILLORAT WINS, WE ALL LOSE)
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To: Omega Man II
He is the fourth detainee to die of apparent suicide at the detention camp, which opened in January 2002 and holds about 380 foreign terrorist suspects on the US naval base in southeastern Cuba.

Only the fourth! Wow, we are doing something wrong at Gitmo. I guess there's always room for improvement.

27 posted on 05/30/2007 8:52:40 PM PDT by DonGrafico (Gowd demmit bub! You ain't from around heah ah ya?)
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To: Omega Man II

And I care why?


28 posted on 05/30/2007 8:52:55 PM PDT by RedWhiteAndBlueBlood
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To: Omega Man II
Guantanamo Saudi

That's the real headline the MSM is sporting.

29 posted on 05/30/2007 8:53:31 PM PDT by quantim (2008 => I'll take an imperfect winner over a perfect loser.)
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To: Omega Man II

If Shamnesty International is bitching, the US or Israel is doing something right.


30 posted on 05/30/2007 8:53:43 PM PDT by Proud_USA_Republican (We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good. - Hillary Clinton)
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To: Omega Man II

Frankly, I hope it hurt.


31 posted on 05/30/2007 8:54:15 PM PDT by Artemis Webb (New York politicians do not think or believe like Americans. ...Thompson 2008)
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To: 9422WMR
"Oh, how sad. Let us all send flowers to mourn the passing of the unfortunate soul. My selection of tribute flower is also edible for the poor confined souls. Maybe they can all have a meal in tribute to their passing comrade. The Oleander flower is a beautiful specimen."

There is also nightshade and hemlock. Both readily available.

32 posted on 05/30/2007 8:54:50 PM PDT by blackbart.223 (I live in Northern Nevada. Reid doesn't represent me.)
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To: RedWhiteAndBlueBlood
And I care why?

Because you are a sensitive and loving person with a heart overflowing with the milk of human kindness?

Or

It's just nice to know there's one less crazed jihadi out there praying for the chance to kill you and your loved ones.
33 posted on 05/30/2007 8:56:53 PM PDT by Dr.Zoidberg (Mohammedanism - Bringing you only the best of the 6th century for fourteen hundred years.)
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To: Omega Man II

These scumbags are treated way better than imprisoned criminals in the US. Sorry ‘bout no virgins for the wimps who can’t take it.


34 posted on 05/30/2007 8:59:52 PM PDT by Vn_survivor_67-68
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To: SteveMcKing

“Good thing he didn’t happen to have an airplane on him. Seriously.”

That is my favorite post of the month.


35 posted on 05/30/2007 9:00:14 PM PDT by M1911A1
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To: Omega Man II
"He is very distrustful of American lawyers

They may be maniacs but they are not stupid

36 posted on 05/30/2007 9:02:32 PM PDT by paul51 (11 September 2001 - Never forget)
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To: Omega Man II

May they all follow suit post haste.


37 posted on 05/30/2007 9:03:07 PM PDT by manic4organic (Send a care package through USO today.)
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To: Omega Man II
The remains of the deceased detainee are being treated with the utmost respect.

Here is the site of eternal repose for our erstwhile jihadist, beautiful Hog Waste Lagoon, North Carolina.

38 posted on 05/30/2007 9:03:58 PM PDT by DeFault User
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To: Omega Man II

Flushed another turd down to allah.


39 posted on 05/30/2007 9:04:17 PM PDT by yooling (Bring the troops home; bring the war home)
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To: Omega Man II

Rosie O’Donnell sends her sympathies. A floral arrangement to follow. /s


40 posted on 05/30/2007 9:06:40 PM PDT by no dems ( Dear God, how much longer are you going to let Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd live?)
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