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The Guantánamo Hunger Strike

Fasting prisoners force-fed twice a day as 30-inch plastic tubes are forced into their esophaguses

By H. Candace Gorman

Guantánamo is in the grips of a hunger strike—an age-old form of protest that marked such world events as the fight for women’s suffrage and Indian and Irish independence. The U.S. military’s response to the hunger strike is not surprising: punitive force-feeding, a dangerous and painful approach. In March I was treated to a grisly demonstration of this procedure at a… return to article

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  • Zoom OutZoom In Reader Comments (3)

    Page 1 of 1 pages

    “The U.S. military’s response to the hunger strike is not surprising: punitive force-feeding, a dangerous and painful approach. “

    So what is the recommended response? Feeding them pork egg rolls? Bacon and eggs?  Or just letting them starve to death in peace?

    “Freedom is just as important as food or air.”

    Iraq is now “free”, but it is less than hollow. Freedom without responsibility is worse than enslavement. The crazys in Iraq now have freedom to kill other citizens and freedom to repress a population. They were better off under Saddam. And collectively we very well may be better off with the crazys in Gitmo left in their cages.

    United States Posted by wolf on May 2, 2007 at 6:30 PM

    How do you have the insight to call these people “crazy’s”?  Have you personally established a documented psychological diagnosis on each of these individuals?  Please explain your logic, and your use of the term.

    United States Posted by foamguy on May 4, 2007 at 8:49 PM

    Force fed why?

    Is it to keep them alive for a set of yet-unannounced trials??

    Wait, there’d have to be charges first… Too much to expect, obviously.

    It’s as much as to say, “You’re ours, mfr’s! No charges, no trials, no escape.”

    No legal standards…
    No constitutional limitations…
    No idea what to do with their sad, sorry asses, except to keep them breathing. For some reason. Probably so “we” won’t be responsible for their suicides. Musn’t have that, wouldn’t be proper, don’t you know.

    That’s another fine mess you’ve gotten us into, Mr Bush

    Philippines Posted by Kuya on May 7, 2007 at 7:27 AM
    Page 1 of 1 pages

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Also by H. Candace Gorman
  • A Kinder, Gentler Torture
  • The Hippocratic Oath Dies in Gitmo
  • Catch-22 in the 21st Century
    Government censors are making like Joseph Heller's character Yossarian and blacking out random information in letters from Guantánamo that has nothing to do with "national security"
  • Third Time’s the Charm?
    The military didn't even bother to retain most of the documents from the Combatant Status Review Tribunals conducted in 2004, so the government has no documents showing any reason for holding these men
  • Suicide and Spin Doctors
    There are many ways for the oppressor to force himself into the mind of the oppressed, but one surefire way is through indefinite detention. Never knowing when--or if--you will be released is a cruel form of psychological torture and allows you to keep hope while simultaneously filling you with fear
  • Inside the Secret Facility
    In an Orwellian twist, the U.S. government monitors all correspondence between a Guantánamo attorney and her client
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