Another Gitmo tragedy

these are real people we're talking about here, with mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, and, now, very little in the way of a decent life left to them...

Mishal al-Harbi's brain was deprived of oxygen for several minutes on the evening of Jan. 16, 2003, while he was in U.S. detention at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. As a result, he cannot stand, his speech is slurred, and he has a twitch that periodically causes his head to shake and his legs to jerk.

U.S. authorities say Mishal's brain was damaged when he tried to hang himself at Guantánamo. But his brother Fahd says a beating by prison guards cut off the flow of oxygen, leaving Mishal unable to walk or talk properly. Fahd said his brother needs intensive physical therapy and costly medicine to control his seizures and hallucinations -- side effects of the injury -- and he wants the U.S. government to help pay for them.

whether it's a beating or a suicide attempt is entirely beside the point... neither would have happened had the u.s. not intervened in this young man's life and changed it unalterably for the worse... and, clearly, it's not just about compensation, it's about answers...

Mishal's family says it is seeking not only financial compensation but also concrete answers from the U.S. government -- either an admission that Mishal was injured by guards or proof that he tried to kill himself. But given the intense secrecy surrounding the detainees at Guantanamo, finding out exactly what occurred that day in 2003 appears almost impossible.

if i was mishal's parent, i would want to know... they deserve to know... and so does mishal...

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