Freedom From The Guantanamo Bay Prison

Torture is something that is known as wrong internationally. Torture is “deliberate, systematic or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting on the orders of authority, to force a person to yield information, to confess, or any other reason” (World Medical Association, 1975, pg.1). There is a general consensus that there is a right to be free from any kind of torture as it can be found in many different human rights treaties around the world. The treaties show that all of the thoughts about torture are pointing away from the right to torture someone no matter what the case

“Torture and abusive interrogation tactics are illegal under both U.S. law and international law. Torture is prohibited under federal law, as are lesser forms of detainee abuse such as cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.” (Human Rights First)

There are different laws over all countries that control by every government in the world. For those who is a criminal or a prisoner, their country’s government has different laws of punishment to punish them. Torture is one of them. The function of torture is to force someone to say something and as a punishment. Torture is unacceptable which I disagree on which it is an action of inhumanly.

Cuba, only 400 miles from Miami Fl, is an island in the Caribbean and is renowned for its excellent climate. There are beaches for swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, and boating opportunities. The island has it’s dark secrets as well, there is Guantanamo Bay, a prison nearby, where the detainee’s right are stripped away and they are beaten daily. Closing Guantanamo Bay has been a big debate over the past few years. President Although what they are doing is technically legal, it is still unconstitutional on U.S. soil. Obama promised us that during his term he would close it. Obama has said that "Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values. It undermines our standing in the world. It is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law." Guantanamo Bay is an embarrassment to our country and has been since it opened. The camp was repeatedly criticized by human rights and humanitarian organizations all around—including Amnesty international, Human Rights Watch, and the International committee of the Red Cross—as well as by the European Union and the Organization of American States(OAS), for alleged human rights violations, including the use of various forms of torture during interrogations. We need to close Guantanamo Bay because it costs a lot of money to keep it open, it is unconstitutional, and we can contain the prisoners in the U.S.

The Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution says, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” The fundamental idea of torture is to inflict mental or physical pain onto a suspect to coerce them into revealing information we desire. This tactic is illegal because it violates the Constitution, and in addition, it violates international agreements that our nation has committed itself to. The general provisions of the Geneva Conference of 1949 prevent the use of torture in warfare; the document specifically outlaws “Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating or degrading treatment…” By violating these laws, particularly the Constitution, our nation

The United States military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been occupied by over 700 Middle Eastern men suspected of terrorism since 2002. It has been home to some of the most heinous suspected terrorist to ever walk on this Earth. What to do with this military base, has been a major source of conflict within our nation and with other nations for over a decade, with no real reasoning substantial enough to close the base. Although our government has come forward and declared that interrogation methods used on some of the detainees has been unethical and has broken some United States laws. But closing Guantanamo Bay is a task that should not be pursued, because it causes more problems to our countries people, our diplomatic and

As part of the “war on terror,” the US began a revolutionary practice of holding "enemies" in military detention without charge and without according them basic rights. Guantanamo Bay is a notorious United States military prison, known for the frequent mistreatment of its inmates. Hundreds of people have gone in and out of GTMO, but none were afforded the rights granted to regular American prisoners. These inmates have spent years holed up in a secretive compound, where some aren't even cognizant of the charges against them. Furthermore, these detainees have reported incidents of abuse and torture, direct violations of the eighth amendment. Bush appointed officials, like Susan Crawford, have conceded that torture occurred at GTMO, validating claims made by those imprisoned. This controversial detention center is infamous internationally, as a 2005 Amnesty International report called the facility the "Gulag of our times.” The U.S. government opened this base as a holding center for the “world’s most dangerous criminals,” and perpetuates its existence to ensure national security. Guantanamo Bay may not seem relevant to most Americans, but its existence is a blatant violation of the Constitution, and foreshadows more encroachment upon the personal liberties enjoyed by

Guantanamo Bay prison should be closed because prisoners don’t have original jurisdiction like a normal prisoner who have. An example of this when in 2004 in Rasul V. Bush the supreme court ruled that the courts have jurisdiction in hearing habeas corpus petitions from guantanamo and administer is still not letting lawyers represent them , In which is not right because it go against what american beliefs. Also Guantanamo Bay should close because the guard inside of guantanamo bay prison is treating the prisoners unfairly and it is unconstitutionally based on what american believe in. An example of this cruel punishment is when a detainee named Bahraini who was in Guantanamo Bay for five years and he said that Guantanamo soldier assaulted him and put him into solitary confinement. Also he says that the soldiers threatened to kill him and his family. Therefore it should close because they are doing stuff in which is not right and it making prisoner want to harm us. To me I think is the main reason why terrorist what to attack us because they are getting treated wrong. Another reason why I want the Guantanamo bay prison to closed is because if we close the prison it would signal that the United States has emerged from confusion and it would regained a place among other civilized nations (GreenBerg , 2007). This shows that if we close the prison it would make our allies

Torture is the intentional infliction of extreme physical suffering on some non-consenting, defenseless person. Torture in any form is used to punish,

The article “Why Guantanamo Bay must be closed for good” by Jonathan Russell denotes the existence of Guantanamo Bay, a maximum security prison off the coast of Cuba. Russell begins by saying that Guantanamo Bay is ineffective because it does not prevent terrorism in other parts of the world. In fact, the existence of Guantanamo Bay fuels terrorist to carry out more terrorist attacks as an act of defiance. Additionally, most people who go to the prison do not get the right to a fair trial as guaranteed by the fifth and sixth amendments. The prison is notorious for its torture of its prisoners. Prisoners face waterboarding, electric shocking, sexual humiliation and are even deprived of sleep. The torture is supposed to make prisoners reveal

Michael Yoo used several definitions from several different places to define torture in his argument. The first definition is the one he used when he defined torture as the following: act committed by a person acting under the color of law specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions) upon another person within his custody or physical control. The other definition he uses it used to show what the government defines torture as. This definition is as follows: The United States

Guantanamo Bay opened in 2002 and since then more than 700 detainees have been held there. In 1991, approximately 34,000 Haitian refugees are detained on the base after they flee a coup in Haiti. In 1994-1995, more than 55,000 Cubans and Haitians, captured at sea, are kept at Guantanamo. These are not considered detainees because they are not American prisoners, but Cuban. At its peak in 2003, Guantanamo held nearly 680 detainees, and there were about 245 when President Obama took office. The life standards at Guantanamo are the worst in human history. Murat Kurnaz spent five years in Guantanamo and below are some facts from his book. When he was

In the United States legal system, torture is currently defined as “an act committed by a person acting under the color of law specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions) upon another person within his custody or physical control.” as defined by Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (US Code, 1) Though this is a seemingly black and white definition, the conditional “…other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions…” have led many to question what precisely this entails. In other words, what are the lawful sanctions that permit such acts? Are they ethically right? Where is the line drawn as torture

Guantanamo Bay, though started with good intentions, only highlights America’s negative side. Marine Major General Michael Lehnert, who played a significant role in the opening of Guantanamo, has drastically changed his opinion and said that it, “Validates every negative perception of the U.S.” (Sutton 1). One example of this occurred in 2006, when President Bush justified the use of “physical coercion” (torture) during interrogations (Fetini 1). Some of these torture methods include isolation, beatings, sleep deprivation, and general abuse. Other tactics such as disrespect for Islamic symbols or sexual provocation are used to encourage stress in detainees (Bloche 1). These immoral methods led to an international outcry. It was later remarked that the Cuban territory upon which Guantanamo is located is being used as a “concentration camp” of sorts (Fetini 1). Guantanamo and its unethical values are being recognized by nations around the world, displaying America in a bad light.

In the United States, one of the major methods in obtaining crucial information has been through the use of Guantanamo Bay. While many have condemned of the torture that is believed to occur there, not only does Guantanamo Bay comply with national and international standards, but it also complies with Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions (Meese 1) which states