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Mr. Mojo · 06-03-2003, 01:06 PM

Sorry this is so long, but i had to nexis search for it

Gitmo Prisoner: "They Treated Us Very Well"

Source: The Chicago Tribune
Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2003
Headline: Kabul Frees 18 Held in Cuba; Ex-Guantanamo Inmates Go Home
Byline: By Kim Barker, Tribune staff reporter
Dateline: Kabul, Afghanistan

They sat in their cells in Guantanamo Bay for months, reading books in Pashtu, doing sit-ups and push-ups, and playing soccer for maybe 15 minutes every other day. Most of the 18 men just released from the U.S. military prison in Cuba said the only torture they encountered there was boredom. Even the food was decent.

On Tuesday, after being held in a Kabul jail for three days by Afghan authorities, the men were cleared of being dangerous terrorists and allowed to go home. They grabbed their new bags and walked off in their new white Riddell tennis shoes. Both were parting gifts from the United States.

<B>"There is no need to lie," said Sayed Abasin, 21, whose record from Cuba shows he was seen 37 times by the medical staff, for everything from knee pain to sinusitis. "I'm telling you the facts. They treated us very well."</B>

As many as 650 men, suspected of being members of Al Qaeda or the Taliban, have been held at Guantanamo since the start of America's war on terror. Human-rights groups and some former detainees have called the prison conditions inhumane and complained of torture.

Several of the 18 men freed in Afghanistan said they resented having been held for so long, without charges. They complained about being cramped in individual cells, about 6 1/2 feet by 5 feet, with their toilets and sinks next to their beds. Some said that on the rare occasions they were allowed to leave their cells, their hands and wrists were shackled.

<B>Still, the men were generally reluctant to criticize the Americans. Although they had no watches, the men said they were told when to pray in prison, five times a day. They said they performed ablutions with the water provided in their cells. They said they were fed fish and vegetables and given books to read. Several men said they were treated much worse at military bases in Afghanistan than in Cuba. Here, they said, they were thrown to the ground and repeatedly questioned.</B>

Afghan authorities initially said they planned to keep the men in a jail in Kabul for as long as needed for a thorough investigation. The officials said they needed time to determine whether any of the men might be dangerous and whether all the men were indeed Afghans.

But on Tuesday, all 18 were released, after they were paraded up to the chief of police's office, out to a lobby in front of reporters and down to an interrogation room. The men were told they were free only after they were walked back to the jail.

At least two of the men admitted that they fought for the Taliban, but they said they were forced to fight. Mortaza, who like many Afghans uses one name, said he had been taken by the Taliban to fight against the Northern Alliance in Kunduz province.

Others said they were victims of old grudges and thieves. Abasin said he was driving his taxi, taking a boy and a young man from Kabul to their mother's funeral in Khost. He said he picked up a third passenger on the way, just before thieves pulled him over, stole his car and turned him over to the Americans.

Despite being held in Afghanistan and Cuba for almost a year, Abasin was most concerned about his missing car: a 1991 yellow and white Toyota Corolla, with the license plate number 423.

After the men found out they were released, they hugged one another next to a garbage dump beside the jail. They picked up their bags, stuffed with new jeans and shirts given them by Americans and with their copies of the Koran and other holy books.

Abasin gave away his 24,000 afghanis, made worthless by new currency introduced since he was detained. He flipped through all his papers - the tax stamp for his taxi, his car registration - but his driver's license was no longer there. He said he planned to go home to Khost, take a bath, change clothes and cut off his beard.

"I don't know about my car, I want my car back, my taxi," he said. "And I need my driver's license."

Just before Abasin and the other men walked off, a police official called them back. He said the men's official release cards from Guantanamo Bay were locked up, and that the key was not available. They needed to come back the next day.

GRAPHIC: PHOTOPHOTO: Two Afghans who had been held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, talk with a taxi driver Tuesday after Kabul authorities released them. AP photo by Amir Shah.

06-03-2003, 01:06 PM	#15 (permalink)
Mr. Mojo Addict Location: NYC	Sorry this is so long, but i had to nexis search for it Gitmo Prisoner: "They Treated Us Very Well" Source: The Chicago Tribune Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 Headline: Kabul Frees 18 Held in Cuba; Ex-Guantanamo Inmates Go Home Byline: By Kim Barker, Tribune staff reporter Dateline: Kabul, Afghanistan They sat in their cells in Guantanamo Bay for months, reading books in Pashtu, doing sit-ups and push-ups, and playing soccer for maybe 15 minutes every other day. Most of the 18 men just released from the U.S. military prison in Cuba said the only torture they encountered there was boredom. Even the food was decent. On Tuesday, after being held in a Kabul jail for three days by Afghan authorities, the men were cleared of being dangerous terrorists and allowed to go home. They grabbed their new bags and walked off in their new white Riddell tennis shoes. Both were parting gifts from the United States. <B>"There is no need to lie," said Sayed Abasin, 21, whose record from Cuba shows he was seen 37 times by the medical staff, for everything from knee pain to sinusitis. "I'm telling you the facts. They treated us very well."</B> As many as 650 men, suspected of being members of Al Qaeda or the Taliban, have been held at Guantanamo since the start of America's war on terror. Human-rights groups and some former detainees have called the prison conditions inhumane and complained of torture. Several of the 18 men freed in Afghanistan said they resented having been held for so long, without charges. They complained about being cramped in individual cells, about 6 1/2 feet by 5 feet, with their toilets and sinks next to their beds. Some said that on the rare occasions they were allowed to leave their cells, their hands and wrists were shackled. <B>Still, the men were generally reluctant to criticize the Americans. Although they had no watches, the men said they were told when to pray in prison, five times a day. They said they performed ablutions with the water provided in their cells. They said they were fed fish and vegetables and given books to read. Several men said they were treated much worse at military bases in Afghanistan than in Cuba. Here, they said, they were thrown to the ground and repeatedly questioned.</B> Afghan authorities initially said they planned to keep the men in a jail in Kabul for as long as needed for a thorough investigation. The officials said they needed time to determine whether any of the men might be dangerous and whether all the men were indeed Afghans. But on Tuesday, all 18 were released, after they were paraded up to the chief of police's office, out to a lobby in front of reporters and down to an interrogation room. The men were told they were free only after they were walked back to the jail. At least two of the men admitted that they fought for the Taliban, but they said they were forced to fight. Mortaza, who like many Afghans uses one name, said he had been taken by the Taliban to fight against the Northern Alliance in Kunduz province. Others said they were victims of old grudges and thieves. Abasin said he was driving his taxi, taking a boy and a young man from Kabul to their mother's funeral in Khost. He said he picked up a third passenger on the way, just before thieves pulled him over, stole his car and turned him over to the Americans. Despite being held in Afghanistan and Cuba for almost a year, Abasin was most concerned about his missing car: a 1991 yellow and white Toyota Corolla, with the license plate number 423. After the men found out they were released, they hugged one another next to a garbage dump beside the jail. They picked up their bags, stuffed with new jeans and shirts given them by Americans and with their copies of the Koran and other holy books. Abasin gave away his 24,000 afghanis, made worthless by new currency introduced since he was detained. He flipped through all his papers - the tax stamp for his taxi, his car registration - but his driver's license was no longer there. He said he planned to go home to Khost, take a bath, change clothes and cut off his beard. "I don't know about my car, I want my car back, my taxi," he said. "And I need my driver's license." Just before Abasin and the other men walked off, a police official called them back. He said the men's official release cards from Guantanamo Bay were locked up, and that the key was not available. They needed to come back the next day. GRAPHIC: PHOTOPHOTO: Two Afghans who had been held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, talk with a taxi driver Tuesday after Kabul authorities released them. AP photo by Amir Shah. __________________ When I jerk off I feel good for about twenty seconds and then WHAM it's right back into suicidal depression Last edited by Mr. Mojo; 06-03-2003 at 01:30 PM..