Guantanamo Detainees in Isolation, Diplomatic Limbo

By William Fisher, t r u t h o u t

A top human rights advocate is characterizing as “a self-inflicted wound” the failure of the Bush administration to find countries willing to grant asylum to Guantanamo prisoners it has cleared for release.

“The administration created this problem by repeatedly describing all Guantanamo detainees as ‘the worst of the worst’. A lot of people are working very hard to find countries to take these people,” says Jumana Musa of Amnesty International USA in an exclusive interview with Truthout. But, she adds, “Given the misleading rhetoric our government has used to describe these prisoners, we shouldn’t be surprised that no one wants to take them.”

Musa, who is Amnesty’s director of domestic human rights and international justice programs, told Truthout that the Bush administration has also failed to seek help in relocation from groups such as the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

“In fact,” she says, “these groups have largely been shut out of any involvement in the relocation issue, despite their years of experience.”

(Original Article)

1 Comment

  1. “Musa, … told Truthout that the Bush administration has also failed to seek help in relocation from groups such as the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

    “In fact,” she says, “these groups have largely been shut out of any involvement in the relocation issue, despite their years of experience.””

    I agree they have experience – in corruption and allowing human rights abuses. Hello!!! Is anyone home? It’s UN we are talking about…

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