And the Whirlwind Swept the Land

©WCG, 2003

Turning Talibans into Turnips

Following upon twenty suicide attempts by prisoners at the naval detention center in Guantánamo, military authorities have decided to set up a psychiatric ward for detainees suffering from mental problems.

The decision was taken after one of the prioners tried to kill himself by bashing his head against the wall of his cell. “He’s lost his ability to function,” said Captain Alber Shimkus, Chief Medical Officer at the base, “we don’t anticipate he will get better.”

In addition to the Taliban Turnip, the ward will lodge approximately 70 other detainees who suffer from various mental problems. Some are being treated with drugs; others are simply kept shackled.

Military authorities deny that their methods of intererogation had anything to do with causing these conditions. “The majority of these psychiatric cases arrived here already suffering from mental problems,” Shimkus said.

It’s hardly surprising considering that they arrived at Guantánamo after being locked up for a month in fetid metal shipping containers without light, fresh air, water, sanitation or adequate food.

It is hardly surprising considering that the “containees” were threatened, immobilized, beaten and in some cases simply or simply randomly shot.

It is hardly is hardly surprising considering that they were shipped to Guantánamo shackled, blindfolded, gagged, earplugged, immobilized, and drugged “so that” -- according to Donald Scumsfeld -- that they could not disable the transport plane by “chewing” through its electrical cables.

Yeah, Shimkus was right... many of the detainees arrived half crazy.

©WCG, 2003
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