Chuck Armsbury misses the point somewhat here. I completely agree that the conditions in US prisons is an issue, likewise the very imprisonment rate.

But these government captives in Cuba are a different issue. The US prison population and its treatment is at least subject to the rule of law. They are not just arbitrarily locked up by  government decree without recourse to a hearing and completely outside any legal rationale.

Not so the captives in Cuba. The crucial issue here is whether the US is willing to abide by the rule of law itself. And it seems the answer is no. The holding of captives who have no access to the judicial system, are not charged with any offense or even informed of what offense they might be suspected of (if any), yet are also not regarded as prisoners of war (the only exception to legal incarceration recognised by international convention) is a barbaric reversion to arbitrary authority.

Might is right and the US government has abandoned even the slightest pretense of legality. The only exception was in the case of a US citizen, who it was formally charged and given the chance to defend himself in a court of law. The citizens of other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Australia, Britain, Pakistan and of course Afghanistan are not afforded even the pretense of human rights, let alone human dignity.

This is an outrage that offends people all over the world. And don't think that we reserve our animosity for the government of the US alone, the citizens of the US who tolerate this are every bit as guilty and deserving of collective punishment. Every person who supports this, or even remains silent, deserves to be regarded as the scum of the earth.

To our shame, the precedent was set by the Australian government, who last year forcibly took prisoner several hundred refugees from Afghansistan and Iraq, who had been rescued at sea by a Norweigian freighter. The refugees were forcibly kidnapped from the freighter by Australian troops and transported to remote Pacific Islands. The bankrupt governments of which were paid huge bribes to consent to the setting up of gulags. Most are still held prisoner, though some were admitted as refugees by New Zealand. (An unfortunate precedent. As I recall, the last people accepted as refugees from political persecution in Australia were some Irish political prisoners transported here in the 19th century by the British. They were given refuge in the US.)

The express purpose of this recent exercise though was to deny the refugees access to the protection of the UN refugees convention, which Australia has signed, thus the protection of Australian law and a hearing before Australian courts.

It seems that this is also the sole and illegitimate purpose of transporting the international hostages from Afghanistan to Cuba. To deny them due legal process.

Not to be outdone by the Aussies, the US has to gone one better. It has not only kidnapped people, but subjected them to (literally) inhuman conditions - housed in wire animal cages, denied contact with families, lawyers, or even free association. The neo-nazis behind this outrage don't even have the decency to do it covertly, but belligerantly abuse and threaten anyone who dares question this war crime, displaying enough bluster to make Slobodan Milosovich blush. At least Milosovich felt guilty enough to lie about it, even Hitler was surreptitious.

Of course the US government is an unabashed international outlaw state, refusing to recognise international law, or international courts. Now that the US government (and by implication the population of the US) has repudiated the Geneva convention, I would be surprised if members of its armed forces (or even civilians) who are captured by the many enemies of the US can expect civilised treatment from this day forward. Why bother? If you know you'll be treated like a dog (literally) if captured by US forces, you aren't going to waste your time treating American prisoners any better.

I'm sure this will get very interesting as the story unfolds. As you sow, so shall ye reap. The world is becoming a very nasty place.

Bill Bartlett
Bracknell Tas