The Cubans do not seem to be unhappy about the captive Talibs at the Guantanamo base. They positively treat the horror of the prison camp on the island of their own, they have even derive profit from it. The local newspapers are full of ads, offering the excursions to the borders of the American base.
The Americans provide the advertising for that themselves. The administration of the American president helped to spread the photographs, depicting the captive Talibs kneeling in front of the cages. Those photos were allegedly spread around the world in order to frighten those, who were still out there free.
The crowds of tourists traveled to the island, hoping to see the prostrated Talibs. The return bus tickets cost $162 for five people, who wish to see the base and the American marines, guarding the captive Talibs.
Some of the tourists were happy about what they see, but others were disappointed, because they did not see the tortures. Some people go there to make themselves sure that the Talibs are the same people, like anyone else, not the monsters, as the media portray them.
As far as the prisoners themselves are concerned, George Bush ordered to apply the Geneva Convention, which determine the ways to treat the military prisoners, the arrested members of the Taliban movement. It goes about the Taliban movement only, the convention will not touch upon those from al-Qaida.
Only the Talibs may count on the status of military prisoners, since Afghanistan used to sign the convention on the military prisoners. The Americans have not officially recognized the ruling Taliban movement of Afghanistan, but they made an exception for the Talibs anyway. The White House is constantly under the pressure from the international remedial organizations, which are concerned about the unresolved status of the captives, and secondly, the American military men can find themselves in the similar situation. Washington hopes that the Geneva Convention will guarantee good treatment to them.
There are currently 158 Taliban prisoners in the Guantanamo base, the majority of whom are the Afghans, about 50 come from Saudi Arabia, there are also the British citizens there, as well as French, Australian, Swedish and Yemen’s nationals. The governments of these countries, in particular the governments of Great Britain and France, insist on their extradition to their homelands. The Pentagon has not said anything on this subject, and Washington is not ready to quarrel with its NATO allies.
Dmitry Litvinovich
PRAVDA.Ru
Translated by Dmitry Sudakov
U.S. Base At Guantanamo Bay Expected To Grow
CBC : Saudi Arabia says most Guantanamo prisoners are Saudis
Neue ZЭrcher Zeitung (Switzerland) : Gulliver in Guantanamo
Tedium, Froot Loops Mark Guantanamo Prison Routine
Chronicle of Rumsfeld Trip to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
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