Say Anything Blog

BBC - There are credible allegations that Guantanamo hunger strikers are being force-fed in a cruel manner, the UN special rapporteur on torture has said.

Manfred Nowak's comments came after it emerged that the number of detainees refusing food at the prison camp had more than doubled since 25 December.

Some 84 inmates are now refusing food, according to the US military.

But a Pentagon official said there was no evidence that they had been treated in an inappropriate way.

Mr Nowak has not been to Guantanamo, and turned down an invitation to the camp because the US refused to give him unrestricted access to the detainees.

He told the BBC that he had received reports that some hunger strikers had had thick pipes inserted through the nose and forced down into the stomach.

This was allegedly done roughly, sometimes by prison guards rather than doctors. As a result, some prisoners had reported bleeding and vomiting he said.

"If these allegations are true then this definitely amounts to an additional cruel treatment," Mr Nowak said.

Would Mr. Nowak rather we let these people starve themselves into sickness or death? Who knows, maybe he would. He seems determined to make himself a useful idiot for these detained terror criminals, so maybe some pictures or descriptions of weak and emaciated prisoners is exactly what he wants. Such things would likely come in handy for future America bashing.

Honestly, is anyone under the impression that people like Nowak are ever going to be satisfied with the way we treat terror detainees? If we let the prisoners starve themselves Nowak would be complaining about their malnourishment. If we make them eat so they stay healty he'll complain about that too. One gets the idea that the only way he'll be satisifed is if we let them all go.

Unfortunately, that just isn't an option.

united nations, guantanamo bay, hunger strike, force feeding, war on terror