Afghan who died at Guantánamo was anti-Taliban hero
5.2.08
Today the New York Times runs an exclusive front page article by Carlotta Gall and myself, Time Runs Out for an Afghan Held by the U.S., relating the story of Abdul Razzaq Hekmati, a 68-year old detainee who died of cancer at Guantánamo on December 30, after being held for five years without charge or trial.
Described on his death as “an experienced jihadist with command responsibilities,” who “was assessed to have had multiple links to anti-coalition forces,” Mr. Hekmati had persistently presented a different story in his military tribunals and review boards at Guantánamo.
I had come across Mr. Hekmati’s story during my research for The Guantánamo Files: The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America’s Illegal Prison, and was delighted to work with Carlotta on this significant story. Please visit the New York Times website for the article.
Note: For commentary on the Hekmati story, please see the following articles by Scott Horton at Harper’s, Daniel Politi at Slate, and Chris Floyd at Atlantic Free Press and CounterPunch.
2 Responses
Andy Worthington says...
Here’s another piece, placing Hekmati’s capture in the context of the US military’s relationship with Sher Mohammed Akhundzada: http://bushmeister0.tripod.com/bushmeister0/index.blog/1787290/the-gwot-gets-a-little-harder-impossible-in-afghanistan/
And here’s a comment from the Montreal Gazette, following up on the story:
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/editorial/story.html?id=e45c8a5f-1338-4fa8-a64b-fbf46efeba7a
This (plus lively comments) is from WE Blog, the blog of the Wichita Eagle’s editorial board:
http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2008/02/a-death-at-guantanamo-observed/
...on February 9th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Andy Worthington says...
Today’s New York Times (February 9) runs the following letter from Larry Cox, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA:
Where’s Our Disgust?
“Time Runs Out for an Afghan Held by U.S.” (front page, Feb. 5) sheds new light on the human rights violations the United States government continues to perpetrate in Guantánamo Bay.
In the meantime, our nation’s political leadership and citizens in whose name this continuing outrage is carried out barely emit a whimper of disgust.
Imagine our reaction if this were a story about an American citizen who was apprehended by another government, spirited out of the country and held for more than five years without any meaningful opportunity to challenge the dubious accusations against him while dying a slow death.
We’d rightly condemn such behavior as inhumane and barbaric, which is what the rest of the world sees in Guantánamo Bay. American values?
Larry Cox
Executive Director, Amnesty International USA
New York, Feb. 5, 2008
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/opinion/lweb10gitmo.html?ref=opinion
...on February 10th, 2008 at 3:53 pm