The closure Of Guantanamo Is The least We Can Do

 

by Will Francome

19.01.10

One year ago, today (January 20, 2008), Barack Obama was sworn into office as President of the United States. I had gone over to New York as a dual British/American citizen to vote for Barack earlier in 2008, overwhelmed with the sense of hope that he had brought to the country and the world, and so was excited about his inauguration. As one of his first acts as president, he ordered the closure of Guantanamo and other secret prisons “as soon as practicable, and no later than one year from the date of this order.” Well that year has officially gone and unfortunately, Obama has failed in his promise. I myself actually don’t blame Obama completely, but look to the US Senate, talk show fear-mongering, and the widely held political belief that the worst thing you can do in the US is be soft on crime. However, the detention centre will close at some point, and it got me thinking about the detainees that have been released, and the others who will be released - what is life like for them after Guantanamo?

As a documentary filmmaker, I consider myself fortunate enough to hear first hand a lot of accounts and stories about people’s experiences that others may only read about.  I’ve always been astounded by people’s ability to recover and return from what they’ve been through, and somehow make themselves a ‘normal’ life in the country they lived in before. How do people get back on track with their own lives, whilst also remaining true to the experiences they’ve been through?

With that question burning in my mind, Current TV sent me out looking for answers… I went to visit Ruhal Ahmed and Omar Deghayes; who both spent time in Guantanamo before being released back to the UK without any criminal charges whatsoever. Ruhal and Omar are two of nine men in the UK in this position who have been released, all of which have never been offered any sort of apology or help to rebuild their lives by the government.

By now, we all know of the torture inflicted on those held in Guantanamo and other secret prisons during the ‘war on terror’. We all know of the short shackling, the water boarding, the sleep deprivation, and sensory deprivation (and in new revelations, even murder). What is talked about less is the psychological impact of torture and indefinite detention, and the struggle to recover from years of abuse.

When I visited Ruhal, it had been six years since he returned from Guantanamo. He had only just gotten a job and was grateful to finally be able to provide for his wife and baby daughter; but it had not been easy. He said that he had found it so hard to deal with the stigma that came with having gone to Guantanamo in the first place, as the government have never come out and said that he and others like him were innocent. Add to that, nightmares, flashbacks, paranoia - and it’s a wonder that any of these men recover at all.

Omar has only been home for about two years and spent upwards of six years in Guantanamo, where he was blinded, had ribs broken, had his nose broken and countless other injuries. But it was not these physical injuries that seemed to affect him the most, but his ‘numbness’. He says that it has become hard to feel emotions like love and happiness since his experience. When he was arrested, he was married with a baby boy, but divorced from his wife while he was in Guantanamo (so that she could move on). It’s been eight years since he’s seen his son, and the UK government won’t grant Omar a visa to visit him or allow his son into the country.

In the aftermath of 9/11, the US government (in a desperate attempt to capture terrorists) cast the net so wide that many innocent men like Ruhal and Omar were caught up in it, and ended up in places like Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, and other horrendous prisons. The legal charity Reprieve estimate that 90,000 people have been imprisoned in the war on terror; and all of these men (and the odd woman) will face long-term mental, sociological and practical problems from their incarceration. Whether it’s finding work or dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, there are many challenges that they will all face as they come to terms with their torture and mistreatment. As much as I want to see Guantanamo close, there is much more at stake than one detention facility, and it is going to take years to deal with this abuse; most innocent victims really need and deserve lifelong counselling and help. All of these wrong oppressive and abusive actions were carried out by the US, the UK and their allies in our name, and the least we could do is call on our governments to try and help these men return to their ‘normal’ lives and repair the damage that’s been done.

Words: William Francome. William is the writer and presenter of 'In Prison My Whole Life' - his investigation into the arrest of famed Black Panther Mumia Abu Jamal (who is now on death-row).  Williams's next documentary, ‘Life After Guantanamo’ will be shown on Current TV on January 25th at 10pm. For more info, and to keep up to date with William's work, visit here.