another death at Guantánamo

It’s being called a probable suicide, but  Muhammad Ahmad Abdallah Salih had been on a hunger strike and was down to only 85 lb.

http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2009/06/02/yemeni-prisoner-muhammad-salih-dies-at-guantanamo/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8080376.stm

Send a book to Mohammed el Gharani

From Reprieve:

Send a book to Mohammed el Gharani
–deadline 3/20/2009
We would be delighted if you could send one of your favourite books to our client Mohammed el Gharani, in Guantánamo Bay.

Mohammed el Gharani was just 14 years old when he was wrongfully imprisoned in Guantánamo.

Despite being ordered to be released by a federal judge, he is still there seven years later – the youngest remaining prisoner taken as a juvenile.

Although Mohammed has spent his school years in a notoriously brutal prison, he loves books – particularly history. He recently told Reprieve attorneys that he is keen to read as much as possible to prepare for his release.

Show your support for Mohammed by sending him your favourite book. We hope that sending many books all at once will:

- support Mohammed at this very difficult time
- remind the officials at Guantánamo of his youth, his innocence and their legal obligation to release him.

How to send a book

1) Choose a book – one of your own, second-hand or new is fine (Mohammed has learned to speak and read English in Guantánamo; he also speaks Arabic)

2) Write one sentence on why you have chosen it

3) Call or email Reprieve to let us know – we will deliver it to Mohammed in Guantánamo Bay.

4) Post your book to us at:

‘A Book for Mohammed el Gharani’

ATTN: Samuel Rowley
Bingham McCutchen LLP
One Federal Street
Boston, MA 02110-1726

We need all books to arrive by Friday March 20, in time for our next Guantánamo visit.

If you can help or need further information, please email laura@reprieve.org.uk or give us a call at +44 20 7353 4640. We will be publishing a list of the books that we take over, as well as who has sent them in and the reasons the specific books have been chosen.

Many thanks, as ever, for your support.

For more info about Mohammed:
http://www.cageprisoners.com/campaigns.php?id=863

More about Reprieve:
Reprieve was founded by human rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith in 1999. Reprieve has nine full-time staff working in its London office, and supports eight full-time Fellows working in the field in the Deep Southern United States. Reprieve’s work in the UK and overseas is supported by a corps of dedicated volunteers.
http://www.reprieve.org.uk/whoweare.htm

Documents relating to Khadr’s interrogation

Documents relating to the interrogation of Omar Khadr

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/v5/content/pdf/KhadrDocuments.pdf

Of interest, the “frequent flyer program:”

6. In an effort to make him more amenable and w·iIIing to talk,_ has placed Umar
on the -frequent flyer program: for the three weeks before Mr ~s visit, Umar has
not been permitted more than three hours in anyone location. At three hours intervals he is moved to another cell block, thus denying him uninterrupted’sleep and a continued change of neighbours. He will soon be placed in isolation for up to three weeks and then he will be interviewed again.~ated that they (the Army) has Q -big file” on Umar…

“Help me!” cries 16-yr-old Khadr as interrogators grill him

Up date and correction–

Seems the BBC did a better job of reporting than the Canadian press. What the boy really kept repeating was, “Kill me! Kill me!”

Guantanamo Bay video in full
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7507991.stm

_____________________

The first videotape of then-16-yr-old Omar Khadr being interrogated by Canadian authorities at Guantánamo was released today:
Omar Khadr: The interrogation

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080715.w2khadr15/BNStory/International/home

Said one of Kadr’s attorneys, Dennis Edney:

He was deprived of sleep by being removed from his cell and to another cell every three hours on a 24-hour basis for three weeks solid, followed by three weeks of deep solitary confinement.

Khadr shows his inquisitors his wounds, tells them he’s lost his eyesight and the use of his feet…

During the 10-minute video of his questioning in Guantanamo a year later, he can be seen crying, his face buried in his hands, and pulling at his hair. He can be heard repeatedly chanting: “Help me.”

First Guantanamo video released
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7507216.stm

Excellent summary

Andy Worthington provides an excellent post summarizing some of the main points of the McClatchy investigative series, as well as this week’s Senate hearings:

http://tinyurl.com/59fnox