Andy Worthington: An Archive of Guantánamo Articles and Other Writing – Part 16, January to June 2014

25.3.15

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Welcome to the 16th chronological list of all my articles, since I began working as an independent journalist in 2007 — about Guantánamo and related topics, and other themes involving social justice. Please support my work if you can with a donation!

I first began researching the Bush administration’s “war on terror” prison at Guantánamo and the 779 men (and boys) held there nearly ten years ago, in the fall of 2005, and began researching and writing about it on a full-time basis in March 2006. Initially, I spent 14 months researching and writing my book The Guantánamo Files, based, largely, on 8,000 pages of documents publicly released by the Pentagon in the spring of 2006, and, since May 2007, I have continued to write about the men held there, on an almost daily basis, as an independent investigative journalist — for two and a half years under President Bush, and, shockingly, for what is now over six years under President Obama.

My mission, as it has been since my research first revealed the scale of the injustice at Guantánamo, continues to revolve around four main aims — to humanize the prisoners by telling their stories; to expose the many lies told about them to supposedly justify their detention; to push for the prison’s closure and the absolute repudiation of indefinite detention without charge or trial as US policy; and to call for those who initiated, implemented and supported indefinite detention and torture to be held accountable for their actions.

As I highlight every three months through my quarterly fundraising appeals, I have undertaken the majority of this work as a reader-supported journalist and activist, so if you can support my work please click on the “Donate” button above to donate via PayPal.

In January 2010, I began to put together chronological lists of all my articles, in the hope that doing so would make it as easy as possible for readers and researchers to navigate my work — the 2,378 articles I have published since I began publishing articles here on andyworthington.co.uk in May 2007, which, otherwise, are not available in chronological order in any readily accessible form.

This 16th list, covering January to June 2014, unfortunately saw Guantánamo retreat largely into the media shadows after 2013’s high-level indignation about the prison’s continued existence, prompted by a prison-wide hunger strike. Nevertheless, the hunger strike — and the global outrage about it — put pressure on President Obama to revisit his failed promise to close the prison and to resume releasing prisoners, which he had largely stopped doing since the fall of 2010 when Congress raised obstacles that he was unwilling to overcome, even though he had the means to do so.

From January (when I visited the US on a tour calling for the closure of Guantánamo that, for the first time, included a visit to Los Angeles) to June 2014, just six men were freed — and the exchange of five of these men, mostly significant figures in the Taliban, for the sole US prisoner of war in Afghanistan was used, disgracefully, by many Republicans to attack President Obama, when it was none of their business, and a Republican president would have done the same. Fortunately, 22 more men were freed in November and December.

The period from January to June 2014 was particularly notable for two developments — the continuation of the latest review process at Guantánamo, the Periodic Review Boards, and the legal challenge embarked upon by a force-fed prisoner, Abu Wa’el Dhiab, who succeeded in getting a US judge to order the government to release videotapes of his force-feeding and “forcible cell extractions” to his lawyers, and briefly, to order the government to stop force-feeding him.

However, there are, sadly, no grounds for those who oppose the existence of Guantánamo to sit back and relax, as the release of prisoners has once more ground to a halt, and renewed action is required to put pressure on the administration.

Throughout the period covered by this list, I also continued to write, when time allowed, about the disgraceful war being waged on public services and equality of opportunity by the Tory-led government here in the UK, with articles about the NHS and London’s housing crisis — as well as some articles about the government’s alarming efforts to strip UK citizens of their citizenship if they are suspected of involvement in terrorism. I also wrote a few articles also about Stonehenge and the Battle of the Beanfield, reminders of some of my preoccupations before I became a full-time chronicler of Guantánamo.

As I always explain when I publish these lists, I remain convinced, through detailed research, through comments from insiders with knowledge of Guantánamo, and, more recently, through an analysis of classified military documents released by WikiLeaks, that between 95 and 97 percent of the 779 men and boys imprisoned in total were either completely innocent people, seized as a result of dubious intelligence or sold for bounty payments, or Taliban foot soldiers, recruited to fight an inter-Muslim civil war that began long before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and that had nothing to do with al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden or international terrorism.

The articles I wrote between January and June 2014 are listed below, separated into two categories: articles about Guantánamo, and articles about British politics. I hope you find the list useful.

An archive of Guantánamo articles: Part 16, January to June 2014

January 2014

1. Prisoners released from Guantánamo: The Last Three Uighurs Are Freed from Guantánamo; 76 Cleared Prisoners Remain
2. Guantánamo, radio: Andy Worthington Discusses Guantánamo with Chris Cook on Gorilla Radio
3. Guantánamo campaigns: On the 12th Anniversary of the Opening of Guantánamo, Please Write to the Prisoners
4. Shaker Aamer: Shaker Aamer in Guantánamo: I Am “239,” a “Package”; If My Children Call Me Daddy, Will I Know Who I Am?
5. Guantánamo anniversary: Video: On the 12th Anniversary of the Opening of Guantánamo, Former Prisoner Sami Al-Haj Speaks
6. Shaker Aamer, Guantánamo, hunger strikes: Shaker Aamer Reports 33 Guantánamo Prisoners on Hunger Strike, Issues Statement on Prison’s 12th Anniversary
7. Video, Guantánamo anniversary, US visit, torture: Video: Andy Worthington, Todd Pierce and Steven Reisner Discuss Guantánamo and Torture in New York, January 9, 2014
8. Radio, Guantánamo anniversary, US visit: Radio: Andy Worthington Discusses “The State of Guantánamo Today” with Rose Aguilar, Ramzi Kassem and Sharon Adams in San Francisco
9. Video, Guantánamo anniversary, US visit: Video: Andy Worthington and Jason Leopold Discuss Guantánamo in Anaheim, California on January 16, 2014
10. Radio, Guantánamo anniversary, US visit: Radio: Andy Worthington Talks About Guantánamo with Dennis Bernstein, Michael Slate and Margaret Prescod in San Francisco and L.A.
11. Photos, Guantánamo anniversary: Photos: Close Guantánamo – The Washington D.C. Protest on the 12th Anniversary of the Prison’s Opening, Jan. 11, 2014
12. Video, Guantánamo anniversary, US visit: Video: “Guantánamo and Us” – Stanford University Event with Andy Worthington, Jeff Kaye, Adam Hudson and Stephanie Tang, Jan. 13, 2014
13. Guantánamo, Periodic Review Boards: Guantánamo: Where Being Cleared for Release Means Nothing
14. Guantánamo, Periodic Review Boards: Indefinitely Detained Guantánamo Prisoner Asks Review Board to Recommend His Release
15. Guantánamo campaigns: GTMO Clock Marks 250 Days Since President Obama’s Promise to Resume Releasing Prisoners from Guantánamo; 77 Cleared Men Still Held

February 2014

16. Torture, extraordinary rendition: Poland and Lithuania Haunted by Their Involvement in Hosting CIA Torture Prisons
17. Guantánamo media: Clive Stafford Smith on Guantánamo: “You Are Cleared to Leave, But You Cannot Go”
18. Guantánamo anniversary, US visit: Close Guantánamo Now: Transcript of Andy Worthington’s Speech at an Inter-Faith Event in Los Angeles, January 15, 2014
19. Guantánamo, habeas corpus: Updated: My Definitive List of the Guantánamo Habeas Corpus Results (and see Guantánamo Habeas Results: The Definitive List)
20. George W. Bush, torture: Torture Began at Guantánamo with Bush’s Presidential Memo 12 Years Ago
21. Video, Guantánamo anniversary, US visit: Video: Close Guantánamo Now – Andy Worthington and Dennis Loo at Cal Poly, Pomona, Jan. 17, 2014
22. Guantánamo, US courts: US Appeals Court Rules that Guantánamo Prisoners Can Challenge Force-Feeding, and Their Conditions of Detention
23. Radio, Bagram: Radio: On the BBC World Service, Andy Worthington Discusses the US’s Latest Efforts to Hold Prisoners in Bagram Forever
24. Guantánamo campaigns: In Open Letter, Major Obama Supporters Call for Action to Close Guantánamo as Promised
25. Radio, Guantánamo, torture: Radio: Andy Worthington Discusses Guantánamo and Torture with Scott Horton
26. Omar Khadr: Progress in Canada: Former Guantánamo Prisoner Omar Khadr Moved to Medium-Security Prison
27. Guantánamo media: The Guantánamo Experiment: A Harrowing Letter by Yemeni Prisoner Emad Hassan
28. Photos, Shaker Aamer, Guantánamo campaigns: Photos of the Shaker Aamer Protest in London on February 14, and His Latest Words from Guantánamo
29. Guantánamo media: A Love Letter from Guantánamo
30. Photos, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden: In Oxford, WikiLeaks Whistleblower Chelsea Manning Given Sam Adams Award for Integrity in Intelligence, Edward Snowden Speaks
31. Moazzam Begg, UK politics: The Suspicious Arrest of Former Guantánamo Prisoner Moazzam Begg
32. Radio, Moazzam Begg, UK politics: Radio: Andy Worthington Discusses the Arrest of Former Guantánamo Prisoner Moazzam Begg with Andrea Sears

March 2014

33. Omar Khadr: Canada’s Prison Ombudsman Still Critical of Classification of Omar Khadr, Former Guantánamo Prisoner
34. Guantánamo, Periodic Review Boards: A Few Surprises in the New Guantánamo Prisoner List
35. Life after Guantánamo: Life after Guantánamo: Stories from Afghanistan
36. Guantánamo prisoner list: Updated for 2014: Andy Worthington’s Definitive Guantánamo Prisoner List – Now in Six Parts
37. Guantánamo, US courts: Guantánamo Prisoner Force-Fed Since 2007 Launches Historic Legal Challenge
38. Prisoners released from Guantánamo: Long-Cleared Algerian Prisoner Ahmed Belbacha Released from Guantánamo
39. Guantánamo, US courts: Nine Years of Hunger Strikes and Force-Feeding at Guantánamo: A Declaration in Support of Emad Hassan by Clive Stafford Smith
40. Guantánamo events: Andy Worthington Joins Dennis Edney, Omar Khadr’s Lawyer, for Amnesty International Event in London, March 18, 2014
41. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, US courts: From Guantánamo, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s Declaration in the New York Trial of Sulaiman Abu Ghaith
42. Guantánamo campaigns: Gitmo Clock Marks 300 Days Since Obama’s Promise to Resume Releasing Guantánamo Prisoners; Just 12 Men Freed
43. Guantánamo, Periodic Review Boards: Guantánamo, Where Unsubstantiated Suspicion of Terrorism Ensures Indefinite Detention, Even After 12 Years
44. Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, US courts: Sulaiman Abu Ghaith’s Unexpected Testimony in New York Terrorism Trial
45. UK politics, citizenship-stripping: The UK’s Unacceptable Obsession with Stripping British Citizens of Their UK Nationality
46. UK politics, citizenship-stripping: Making UK Citizens Stateless: Full Text of the Lords’ Debate on Theresa May’s Citizenship-Stripping Powers, March 17, 2014
47. Guantánamo, military commissions: The Chaotic History of Guantánamo’s Military Commissions (also see The Full List of Prisoners Charged in the Military Commissions at Guantánamo)

April 2014

48. Guantánamo op-eds, Periodic Review Boards: Please Read “Guantánamo Forever,” My Latest Article for Al-Jazeera English (and please read the Al-Jazeera article, “Guantánamo Forever“)
49. Shaker Aamer: Gravely Ill, Shaker Aamer Asks US Judge to Order His Release from Guantánamo
50. Shaker Aamer: Shaker Aamer’s Statements Regarding His Torture and Abuse in Afghanistan and at Guantánamo
51. Guantánamo, Periodic Review Boards: Guantánamo Review Boards (1/3): Ali Ahmad Al-Razihi, a Yemeni, Asks to Be Sent Home
52. Guantánamo, Periodic Review Boards: The Impossibility of Being Released from Guantánamo
53. Guantánamo, Periodic Review Boards: Guantánamo Review Boards (2/3): Ghaleb Al-Bihani, a Cook, Asks to Be Sent Home to Yemen or to Another Country

May 2014

54. Guantánamo, Periodic Review Boards: Guantánamo Review Boards (3/3): Salem Bin Kanad, from Riyadh, Refuses to Take Part in a System That Appears Increasingly Flawed
55. Shaker Aamer: Cosmetics Firm Lush Supports the Release of Shaker Aamer from Guantánamo
56. Guantánamo, Periodic Review Boards: Saudi Prisoner Refuses to Attend His Periodic Review at Guantánamo, Complains About Intrusive Body Searches
57. UK politics, citizenship-stripping: MPs Support Alarming Citizenship-Stripping Measures Introduced by Theresa May
58. Guantánamo campaigns: Gitmo Clock Marks 350 Days Since President Obama’s Promise to Resume Releasing Prisoners from Guantánamo; 77 Cleared Men Still Held
59. Guantánamo campaigns: Close Guantánamo: Take Part in the Global Day of Action on May 23, 2014
60. Guantánamo, hunger strikes: Long-Term Guantánamo Hunger Striker Emad Hassan Describes the Torture of Force-Feeding
61. Guantánamo, hunger strikes, US courts: Breakthrough on Guantánamo: Judge Orders US Government to Stop Force-Feeding Syrian Prisoner and to Preserve Video Evidence
62. Life after Guantánamo: Uruguay’s President Mujica Confirms Offer of New Home for Six Guantánamo Prisoners
63. Guantánamo, hunger strikes, US courts: Two More Guantánamo Hunger Strikers Ask Judges to Order Government to Preserve Video Evidence of Force-Feeding
64. Guantánamo, hunger strikes, US courts: For First Time, US Judge Orders Government to Release Videotapes of Force-Feeding to Guantánamo Prisoner’s Lawyers
65. Guantánamo, hunger strikes, US courts: Judge Reluctantly Allows US to Resume Force-Feeding Guantánamo Hunger Striker
66. Guantánamo campaigns: Photos: The “Close Guantánamo” Protest in London, May 23, 2014
67. Radio, Guantánamo: Radio: Andy Worthington Discusses Guantánamo with Linda Olson-Osterlund on KBOO FM in Portland
68. Guantánamo op-eds, President Obama: Please Read “Waiting for Progress on Guantánamo,” My Latest Article for Al-Jazeera (and please read the Al-Jazeera article, Waiting for Progress on Guantánamo)

June 2014

69. Radio, Guantánamo: Radio: Andy Worthington Discusses Obama’s Failure to Close Guantánamo on the Scott Horton Show
70. Guantánamo op-eds, prisoners released from Guantánamo: My Article for PolicyMic: Engineered Outrage About the Bowe Bergdahl/Taliban Prisoner Swap Ignores the Men Still Held at Guantánamo (and see my article, What We Should Really Be Talking About With the Bowe Bergdahl Controversy)
71. Prisoners released from Guantánamo: Missing the Point on the Guantánamo Taliban Prisoner Swap and the Release of Bowe Bergdahl
72. TV, Guantánamo: On Democracy Now! Andy Worthington Discusses the Cynical Hysteria About the Guantánamo Prisoners Released in Exchange for Bowe Bergdahl
73. Radio, Guantánamo: Radio: Andy Worthington Talks to Scott Horton and Peter B. Collins About the Latest Manufactured Guantánamo Scandal
74. Guantánamo, Periodic Review Boards: Review Board Approves “Forever Prisoner” Ghaleb Al-Bihani for Release from Guantánamo, But Also Approves Ongoing Detention of Salem Bin Kanad
75. Deaths at Guantánamo: New Evidence Casts Doubt on US Claims that Three Guantánamo Deaths in 2006 Were Suicides
76. Shaker Aamer, UK politics: Andy Worthington Speaks at a Parliamentary Meeting for Shaker Aamer, with John McDonnell, Bruce Kent and Others, June 17, 2014
77. Guantánamo, hunger strikes, US courts: The Latest News on the Guantánamo Force-Feeding Videotapes, and the Prisoners’ Ongoing Legal Challenges
78. Guantánamo op-eds, prisoners released from Guantánamo: Please Read My Latest Article About Guantánamo for Al-Jazeera, “Is Bowe Bergdahl Worth Five Taliban Prisoners?” (and please read the Al-Jazeera article, Is Bowe Bergdahl Worth Five Taliban Prisoners?)
79. Guantánamo op-eds: “It Is All Theater, It Is All A Game,” Yemeni “Forever Prisoner” Says from Guantánamo
80. Guantánamo op-eds: Please Read Tom Wilner’s Op-Ed About the Bowe Bergdahl/Taliban Prisoner Swap
81. Guantánamo, Periodic Review Boards: Kuwaiti Prisoners Fawzi Al-Odah and Fayiz Al-Kandari Ask Periodic Review Board to Free Them from Guantánamo
82. Julian Assange, UK politics: Photos: Vigil for Julian Assange outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, on the 2nd Anniversary of his Asylum Request, June 19, 2014
83. Life after Guantánamo: Guantánamo Lawyers Urge Obama Administration to Approve Release of Six Men to Uruguay

An archive of articles about British politics, January to June 2014

January to June 2014

1. Save the NHS: Radio: Andy Worthington Discusses the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign and the Need to Defend the NHS on Radio Free Brighton
2. Disability: Ask Your MP to Vote Against the Tories’ Brutal Treatment of the Disabled, as ATOS Resign from Conducting Disability Assessments
3. Save the NHS: Save the NHS from the “Hospital Closure Clause” in the Care Bill; Write to Your MP and Attend a Parliamentary Meeting on Feb. 27
4. Photos, Save the NHS: Save the NHS: Photos and Report – The Protest and Parliamentary Meeting Calling for the Deadly “Hospital Closure Clause” to be Dropped
5. London housing crisis: As Boris Johnson Approves Monstrous Convoys Wharf Development, New Campaign Opposes 236 Planned Towers in London
6. Save the NHS: Rare Good News for the NHS: Government Accepts Lords Amendment Removing Hospital Closure Clause from Care Bill
7. Battle of the Beanfield, Stonehenge, civil liberties: It’s 29 Years Since the Battle of the Beanfield, and the World Has Changed Immeasurably
8. Stonehenge, civil liberties: 30 Years On from the Last Stonehenge Free Festival, Where is the Spirit of Dissent?
9. London housing crisis: London’s Insane Housing Bubble – and the Sickening Greed that is Strangling the Capital

Andy Worthington is a freelance investigative journalist, activist, author, photographer, film-maker and singer-songwriter. He is the co-founder of the “Close Guantánamo” campaign, the director of “We Stand With Shaker,” calling for the immediate release from Guantánamo of Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in the prison, and the author of The Guantánamo Files: The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America’s Illegal Prison (published by Pluto Press, distributed by Macmillan in the US, and available from Amazon — click on the following for the US and the UK) and of two other books: Stonehenge: Celebration and Subversion and The Battle of the Beanfield. He is also the co-director (with Polly Nash) of the documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo” (available on DVD here — or here for the US).