Bagram, Gauntanamo Bay, Abu Gharib- and more

(Amnesty International activists dressed with orange detainee-like suits and white masks protest during a demonstration in Paris on January 6, 2007, in front of a replica of the Statue of Liberty, to demand that the U.S. shut down their detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. )

(Protesters in the U.S Capital, dressed in orange detainee-like suits, 11th January, 2008)

(Bagram prison abuse in Afghanistan is exposed by the BBC in the following video.)

Recently, more reports of prisoner abuse by American soldiers was brought to light by the media. As always , the Pentagon denied the charges. No surprise there. And even if they would have admitted to those crimes, what differnce would it have made? In most cases, the accused go scot free or are not justly punished for the horrific crimes they have done. I remember, when the Iraqi prison abuse was brought to light a couple of years back... disturbing photographs of the abuse were splashed all over the television screens and newspapers. I wonder how many of the American and British soldiers guilty of the crimes were actually held accountable and punished. Or were they simply welcomed back home as "heroes" of a brave war?

What I find hard to understand, is how the American public and parliament can oppose the closure of Gauntanamo Bay; if they truly denounce and condemn the prison abuse in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in the many other secret, American detention camps across the world, how can they oppose its closure when they know its probably the worst of those prisons? And worse, its in their own backyard! Besides tons of reports that the majority of the accused held in Gauntanamo Bay are innocent, the Americans are still turning a blind eye, a deaf eye and acting like mute dummies. Don't take me wrong. I'm not talking about the entire American public over here...I know there are good people among them. Infact, I remember a large protest ( organized by Amnesty International) being held against Gauntanamo Bay, in Washington on January 11, 2008. I wholeheartedly commend their effort and commitment in fighting for the closure of that torture center. I even realize that they are - perhaps - more sincere in their opposal and rejection of the detention camp than many people in my own country (particularly the youngsters). For now, we can only hope and pray that Gauntanamo Bay and other such camps may indeed be closed. Or else, we will be watching another "Khmer Rouge" trial play out in a court room, after a decade or so.

If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else~ Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) ~