US steps back from Guantanamo suicide comments

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Wed, 14 Jun 2006 07:38:14 -0700

[Zepps_News] #US backs away from Colonel Klink's remarks

 

 

 

 

 

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*US steps back from Guantanamo suicide comments

*

Mon Jun 12, 2006 5:24am ET

By Peter Graff

 

LONDON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. official rowed back on Monday from

remarks by colleagues that Guantanamo Bay prisoners' suicides were an

act of war and a " good PR move " , after the comments were condemned

abroad.

 

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs Cully

Stimson, speaking to BBC radio, distanced himself from the statements.

 

" I wouldn't characterize it as a good PR move. What I would say is that

we are always concerned when someone takes his own life. Because as

Americans, we value life, even the lives of violent terrorists who are

captured waging war against our country, " he said.

 

The camp commander, Rear Admiral Harry Harris, had described the three

suicides as an act of war. Colleen Graffy, U.S. deputy assistant

secretary of state for public diplomacy, told the BBC on Sunday the

deaths were " a good PR move " .

 

In an editorial headlined " Bad Language " , the right-leaning Times,

normally a defender of Britain's alliance with the United States, said

such rhetoric " plays once again into the hands of America's enemies. "

 

The left-leaning Guardian described Admiral Harris's remarks as " cold

and odious " . " The demented logic of Dr Strangelove hung like a ghost "

over the U.S. response to the suicides, it said.

 

Britain has been Washington's closest ally in Afghanistan and Iraq, and

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been cautious in criticizing

Guantanamo, which he describes as an " anomaly " .

 

But senior British officials have increasingly openly called for the

camp to be closed down.

 

" If it is perfectly legal and there is nothing going wrong there, why

don't they have it in America? " Constitutional Affairs Minister Harriet

Harman said.

 

" It is in a legal no man's land. Either it should be moved to America

and then they can hold those people under the American justice system

or

it should be closed. "

 

Nine British citizens have been held in Guantanamo Bay. All returned to

Britain and none has been charged. Several appeared in media interviews

over the weekend in which they said they were not surprised that

inmates

had killed themselves.

 

--

" Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government

talking

about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing

has

changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists,

we're

talking about getting a court order before we do so "

-George W. Bush, April 20, 2004

 

Pay your taxes so the rich don't have to.

 

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