Guantanamo Air Transport & Suicide

European airports to transfer terror suspects
Wednesday, 07 June 2006 15:18

The use of European airports to transfer terror suspects should not come as a surprise.

The US has military bases around Europe as part of NATO deal. There are coalition forces, from the countries where the terror suspects were transported, in Afghanistan and Iraq. There is security exchange between the US and these countries to combat terrorism. There are still suspected terrorists from different countries in Guantanamo Bay. Their countries have cooperated with the US to provide it with further information about them.

There are extradition treaties between the US and many countries around the world. The US offers military aid to many of its allies especially, in the third countries which it considers as its strategic allies in exchange of collaborating with it to defend its interests and to maintain its military presence in key areas around the world.

So the transport of terror suspects via international airport should be seen just as a drop in the ocean or a part of the global plan / picture to fight terrorism and maintain security link between the US and its strategic partners.

Guantanamo detainees suicide

The suicide of Guantanamo detainees should be seen a moment to reflect upon the raison d’être of this detention centre. It’s a reminder of former Japanese detention centres in the US during the WWII where the Japanese were detained because their country was at war with the US. If the principle is “a suspect is innocent until proven guilty”, the US should publish the other charges against the detainees apart from being caught in Afghanistan fighting for Bin Laden.
The US had better start their trial on its soil or in an international court. The world must know the specific charge of each detainee. Keeping them in detention without trial will just tarnish the image of the US, which set itself as the champion of human rights. Further suicide by the detainees should be prevented not to let their brothers in terror exploit it to their advantage and before rising voices from influential governments and humanitarian organisations for its definitive closure tarnish the image of the US as defiant of international agreements on human rights.
More suicide will cause more embarrassment and damage to the US, fuelling more suicide attacks in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan.