"Kill me, Kill me."

[Siobhan]

I dunno if anyone else has heard about this but apparently this 21 year old has been detained in Guantanamo for six years now, he entered when he was just 15. His lawyers have released a video of his interrogation, it's really disturbing when they leave him alone and he starts crying "kill me." Really shocked me.

For the article:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKN1528096620080715

For the video:
http://uk.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=86512&newsChannel=worldNews

[NeliaG]

I watched the video expecting to see something shocking but I really don't see it Verx. I see a teenager being questioned and being upset. I'd be upset if I was being held in a prison for murder and was 16 too. I'm sure it's a diabolically depressing situation to be in but I don't see how it could be any other way. If prisons were really comfortable and everyone has a wonderful time there what would be the deterrent of going to one?

The interview itself to me actually seems pretty kind, the interviewer keeps saying 'take a couple of minutes to get yourself together and then you can get a bite to eat' and then repeatedly reassuring him that people care about him. It's hardly brutal.

What I do find shocking is that he has been held for 6 years but that's the legal system... it's much worse in other countries and he at least has been charged with killing a medic. I suspect when he's sentenced they would take his already served incarceration into account. I also think the interrogation cell is to put it mildly 'depressing' but I don't think I've seen any interrogation room before that's seemed like a nice place.

[uosuɥoɾʎɐɾ]

You have to bear in mind a couple of points as well. He was being questioned by Canadian officials, they weren't interrogating him as such rather asking questions. Now I don't know about you but after six years of threats, abuse, torture, I finally met someone from my Government and all he can say is "relax", I'd be pretty upset. He was obviously broken and that was what really hit me, the way he continued to cry for death, it wasn't an act, the officials had left. Remember, that he claimed to suffer threats of rape when in U.S custody, has suffered sleep deprivation, was a child when arrested and hasn't been formally charged or legally held. It is only after six years that he gets the chance to form a defence. It's not the most shocking thing but I never intended it to be. I just wanted to share the mindset of this kid.

[TaylorZ]

I'm confused? The video was of an interrogation by Canadian Security Intelligence Service and it's from 2003? So he had met officials from his own country at least the year after being there.

Since it's from 2003 it would also be at the beginning of his incanceration so I don't think his behaviour is due to six years of suffering. I can't imagine anyone caught by American forces and whom is being charged with killing a medic and being a member of Al-Qaeda is going to be particularly cheerful in a US controlled prison.


A 15 year old child who had travelled from Canada to Afghanistan and ended up involved in a battle against American forces and killed a medic with a grenade. He may have been young but he certainly made a hell of a lot of adult decisions. I'm also curious if you really read the report you linked to... according to it he has been charged with killing a medic hence the upcoming trial. It also mentions in the article that "a native Arabic speaker from the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations told Reuters that he believed Khadr was in fact saying "Ya ummi", the Arabic for "my mother" rather than "Kill me". If he was saying either it still shows he's remarkably upset but again... what else would someone be who was captured and interrogated by forces they were fighting against.

Also, sleep deprivation is very cruel I agree but I can't think of many interrogation techniques that aren't and as to the other accusations they would need looked into and I don't doubt that abuse frequently happens in prisons but at the same time someone claiming something doesn't automatically make it true.

[mooncalf]

Bit of a leap there. Dude's not been found guilty of anything yet has he? So he's innocent, right?

I agree with many of your other points, for what it's worth.

Mitch

[GlamGurl]

............or is it a medic was killed and he was caught?

If they had evidence wouldn't they of obtained a conviction by now?

[KarthikP]

America seriously needs to close Gitmo.

[Bumumble]

I find your response interesting and disturbing.

1) You've decided he's guilty. You've decided that his claims of abuse are bogus. You have nothing other than very flimsy circumstantial evidence to decide him guilty, and yet you're not prepared to accept the mountain of abuse and torture that has already been uncovered in the prison especially and against supposed enemy combatants in general as circumstantial evidence.

2) You say that this child has made some very adult decisions. Guess what? That doesn't make him an adult. At fifteen kids are succeptible to anything (especially kids in highly charged and emotional religious situations, countries and in wars) which is why there are child criminal law distinct from the adult.

3) You don't seem to have a problem with the fact that this child has been held for six years without trial. Well, I look forward to when somebody invents a new law ('illegal combatant') that means they can do that to any suspected terrorist child in your country! Oh, wait... how is that going?

4) You seem OK with the fact that 'many other interrogation techniques' '[are] cruel'. So you accept that he could have had that other cruel 'interrogation technique', waterboarding. Which is torture plain and simple... and that's OK?

Where have you been for the last three years or more while the whole world, including America has been condemning this grievous miscarriage of justice?

[bballplaya7]

If the medic was badged, It's a serious war crime and not just an ordinary criminal act. Anything bearing RED crescent, cross, diamond, Star of David or the lion thingie (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Red_Lion_with_Sun.svg/800px-Red_Lion_with_Sun.svg.png)they use in Brunei is a no no for shooting unless being used to attack you.

[Code101]

Which is again beside the point:

6 years without trial (innocent until proven guilty...?!)
probable abuse/torture
limited access to lawyers and lawyers having limited access to his records
being a minor initially...