2Apr/062
Guantanamo Detainees Interviewed
This American Life has a great show about Guantanamo including the only interviews of former Guantanamo detainees that I've come across.
- The only 5% of Guananamo detainees were pick up by US troops.
- 86% of detainees where handed over by the Pakistan Northern Aliance.
- Many prisoners where simply bought and have no background or evidence of terrorist activities.
It turns out this has all happened before, in England during the British Civil War in the 1600's, to religious fundamentalist terrorists.
April 3rd, 2006 - 11:27
Interviews like this are exactly why I think Ira Glass et al at This American Life are the best ever. The show is moving (maybe they’ve already moved?) to New York because they have a deal for a television version of the show. TAL will still be produced by WBEZ in Chicago, but all the actual work will be done from NYC.
Why do you suppose no other media outlet has gotten interviews from former Guantanamo detainees?
April 3rd, 2006 - 13:12
Laziness? Ineptitude? Conspiracy? Maybe the government didn’t tell the press when they were releasing them.
That 19yo should be on 60 Minutes or something. Listening to that show pretty much ends the debate right? Nobody even argues that Guantanamo is in some way useful or protecting us from anything. Pretty much everyone agrees it is a complete embarrassing failure on the grandest scale and the only people that won’t admit it are the guys at the very top. I personally will buy that kid a plane ticket to NY so he can be on Good Morning America.
I’m beginning to wonder if there even are any terrorists. Maybe it’s all a complete fabrication to justify retaining a preeminate military.