Last week, the former Chief of Staff to Colin Powell, Col. Lawrence B. Wilkerson, admitted what some of us had known for years - that many prisoners held indefinitely at Guantanamo as "enemy combatants" are actually innocent. These prisoners were in some cases captured during sweeps, refugees turned in for a bounty or simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The military continued to hold these prisoners, without trial, knowing that many of their prisoners are innocent. According to Col. Wilkerson, "it did not matter if a detainee were [sic] innocent. Indeed, because he lived in Afghanistan and was captured on or near the battle area, he must know something of importance." (Just how much information on our own government's activities do we know?)

The irony is that also last week, the world watched in horror as we learnt the details of Josef Fritzl's horrific imprisonment, torture and abuse of his daughter and their children in a dungeon for 25 years.

I do not want to minimize the atrocities of Josef Fritzl but how is his treatment of his children different from the U.S. government's treatment of what they call "enemy combatants"? In both cases, the prisoners are locked away indefinitely. No one knows where they are or even if they exist. There is no hope of release. There is rape, torture and devastating abuse, both physical and psychological, designed to destroy the individual and crush the soul. Even children were not spared.

While any person with a trace of decency can easily identify the evil in Josef Fritzl, I am baffled how many can defend the abuse of so-called "enemy combatants". Evil is evil. It does not matter to whom or for what purpose it is effected. The prisoners at Guantanamo have not been tried but even those found guilty by a real trial must not be subject to abuse. Perhaps that is why those who engage in it are so quick to hide it any way they can, be it denying accused "enemy combatants" any form of due process, using ad-hominem attacks on critics or committing crimes in secret while putting on a face of normalcy. (The latter is a characteristic of a psychopath.) 

In addition to moral arguments, I warn neo-cons that they should watch out - by advocating evil practices, they set the stage for themselves to be the next victims. (Or maybe not, I have a Ron Paul bumper sticker on my car. Then, they will come for the neo-cons.)

- Number 11.057 x 10^12

See also:

Ex-Bush admin official: Many at Gitmo are innocent

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ie2Gewi7L3__bSzBds095stmE88QD971FBSO1

Most Guantanamo Detainees Innocent?

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/914