A Pentagon report has found conditions at the Guantanamo prison to be in line with the Geneva Conventions, but called for the isolation of some inmates to be eased by allowing them more social contact and recreation.
The report also said the government needed to move quickly to help arrange the transfer of a group of Uighurs held at the prison who have been cleared of wrongdoing.
Admiral Patrick Walsh, who presented the review’s findings on Monday, said providing high-security detainees the chance for more social activity was “essential to maintain humane treatment over time.”
“In our opinion, the key to socialization is providing more human-to-human contact; recreation activities with several detainees together; intellectual stimulation and group prayer,” Walsh told a news conference.
The review was met with criticism by rights groups, who cited it as proof that US President Barack Obama had failed to make a clean break with the previous administration on the treatment of “war on terror” suspects.
Guantanamo detainees “continue to be held in inhumane conditions that violate US obligations under [the] Geneva Conventions, the US Constitution and international human rights law,” the Center for Constitutional Rights said.
“The majority of detainees are being held in condition of solitary confinement,” the group said. “Sensory deprivation, environmental manipulation and sleep deprivation are daily realities for these men.”
The American Civil Liberties Union on Friday called the review a “whitewash,” demanding an independent review of the prison.
The Pentagon review of Guantanamo — required as part of an executive order issued by Obama last month mandating the closure of the detention camp — was released as Attorney-General Eric Holder traveled on Monday to Guantanamo to get a first-hand look at the prison.
The review called for swift government action to release a group of 17 Uighurs from China who have been cleared of terror links but remain under detention.
The US government has tried unsuccessfully for several years to arrange the transfer of the Uighurs to a third country, as Washington fears they face the risk of persecution if they return to China.
Human rights groups have urged the government to release the Uighurs within the US to areas where there are Uighur communities.
North Korea tested nuclear-capable rocket launchers, state media reported yesterday, a day after Seoul detected the launch of about 10 ballistic missiles. The test comes after South Korean and US forces launched their springtime military drills, due to run until Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday oversaw the testing of the multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The test involved 12 600mm-caliber ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers and two artillery companies, it said. Kim said the drill gave Pyongyang’s enemies, within the 420km striking range, a sense of “uneasiness” and “a deep understanding
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North Korea yesterday fired about 10 ballistic missiles to the sea toward Japan, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, days after Pyongyang warned of “terrible consequences” over ongoing South Korea-US military drills. Pyongyang recently dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul, Washington’s security ally, describing its latest peace efforts as a “clumsy, deceptive farce.” Seoul’s military detected “around 10 ballistic missiles launched from the Sunan area in North Korea toward the East Sea [Sea of Japan] at around 1:20pm,” JCS said in a statement, referring to South Korea’s name for the body of water. The missiles
‘UNWAVERING FRIENDSHIP’: A representative of a Japanese group that co-organized a memorial, said he hopes Japanese never forget Taiwan’s kindness President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, urging continued cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on disaster prevention and humanitarian assistance. Lai wrote on social media that Taiwan and Japan have always helped each other in the aftermath of major disasters. The magnitude 9 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a massive tsunami that claimed more than 19,000 lives, according to data from Japanese authorities. Following the disaster, Taiwan donated more than US$240 million in aid, making it one of the largest contributors of financial assistance to Japan. In addition to cash donations and
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