Letters: Jul. 11, 2005

Inside the Wire at Gitmo

Our report on the interrogation log of detainee Mohammed al-Qahtani was criticized by readers who think that U.S. forces treat suspected terrorists better than they ought to expect. Other readers were alarmed by the government's departure from the rule of law and respect for human rights

"A detainee may be stripped of his human dignity, but abusive interrogations dehumanize the interrogators as well."

DEB SLATER -- Yellow Springs, Ohio

"Iinside the interrogation Detainee 063" [June 20] showed the prison camp at the U.S. naval station at Guantánamo Bay to be a prime example of the hypocrisy that shrouds the U.S. By indefinitely detaining "enemy combatants" without availing them of legal defense, we show the world that the lives of non-Americans are unimportant to us. That is not a great way to spread democracy. If there is indisputable evidence that prisoners were involved in 9/11, then by all means, they should be prosecuted. But if there is no evidence, the U.S. should let them go and apologize for robbing them of their family, country and time.

IBRAHIM HABIB -- Mount Prospect, Ill.

Although I have always felt that President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are bad for the U.S. and the world, your article actually made me feel a bit of respect for some of their policies. The interrogation you described involved only disrespect to Mohammed al-Qahtani's personal dignity. That man is not an innocent Iraqi being dragged around Abu Ghraib on a leash. He is suspected of being the so-called 20th hijacker on Sept. 11, 2001. If he had had his way, United Airlines Flight 93 would have plummeted into the White House or the Capitol. If your article was intended to show the U.S.'s abuse of power, you picked the wrong case study. The U.S. has demonstrated incredible restraint with that terrorist.

JASON YELOWITZ -- Incline Village, Nev.

Are we really expected to believe that treating a detainee like a dog, depriving him of sleep and making him dance with a box over his head are going to lead to credible intelligence? I bet that most people, if treated in such a perverse manner for a prolonged period of time, would tell their interrogators what they wanted to hear. I find it significant that when Detainee 063 finally confessed to al-Qaeda involvement, he stated he was doing it "to get out of here." The interrogation techniques currently used by the U.S. on suspected terrorists appear unethical and outrageous and will only garner us more enemies.

ROYA FOULADI -- Santa Ana, Calif.

Detainee 063 was never physically harmed. He put his health in peril with his refusal to eat and take fluids. His treatment should be put in the proper context. Prisoners at Guantánamo are fed meals that accord with their religious beliefs, they are given Korans and prayer rugs, and their health is monitored. Torture camp? Sounds more like a resort to me!

RON SPENCER -- Raleigh, N.C.