Why is Guantanamo Bay still open?
US President Biden faces legal and political challenges to close notorious prison.
Guantanamo Bay opened in the shadow of the 9/11 attacks 20 years ago.
It was meant to be a temporary detention centre for the biggest threats to United States national security, as part of the so-called “war on terror”.
Keep reading
list of 4 itemsIsraeli minister suggests reported attack on Iran was ’feeble’
Israel ‘seems determined to drag region into war’
World urges ‘de-escalation’ after drones shot down over Iran
But the place soon became notorious for human rights abuses and torture. At its peak, it held 780 prisoners, most of them without charge.
Thirty-nine prisoners are still there, including the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks.
Why is it still open two decades on?
Presenter: Imran Khan
Guests:
Mansoor Adayfi – Former Guantanamo detainee and Guantanamo coordinator for CAGE, a human rights advocacy organisation
Jasmine El-Gamal – Senior manager for MENA, Institute for Strategic Dialogue
Kenneth Roth – Executive director, Human Rights Watch