Facebook Transplant Part 11 - Originally Posted 24/2/09 - The Guantanamo "Britons"

No idea how I missed this earlier on - but here it is now

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So, fourteen “Britons” have been returned to the bosom of “their” country and nation after being interned at Guantanamo bay for the last few years. The legality of their internment has been the subject of much chatterati angst about being held without charge, although it seems to me to be a pretty clear cut case of them being prisoners of war.

Not that accusations of torture are acceptable of course – as long as it is in fact actual torture and not the more soft and pathetic definitions of “torture” much maligned by the apologists and appeasers, perfectly acceptable (in my view) measures such as sleep deprivation, basic food, no entertainment, solitary confinement etc. I must say that minor operations without pain killers do border on “real” torture, but its hardly electrodes on the genitals is it?

But, for a moment, let us set aside the legality and conditions of their internment. Let’s actually look at these fine specimens of humanity for themselves. This information is garnered from online sources and today’s Daily Mail.

Binyam Mohammed, aged 30. Born in Ethiopia who sought asylum in the UK and granted UK residency, not citizenship. Arrested in 2002 following a “holiday” in Afghanistan during which he undertook weapons and other training, something which he himself admitted but that is glossed over by his supporters. He was arrested for allegedly being involved in a “dirty bomb” plot. He arrived back in the UK this month and is already ramping himself up to sue the hell out of everyone he can for his “mistreatment”. Don’t be fooled by the pictures on TV and in the papers – his pitiful condition is the result of a hunger strike, and not systematic abuse by his incarcerators.

Martin Mubanga, aged 36. Dual Zambian and UK citizen. Spent 33 months at Guantanamo after being arrested in Zambia for alleged terror links. He came back to the UK in 2005 and was released after questioning by the security services, although he has not been issued a new passport and is pretty restricted in his movements. He is suing the British government over their cooperation in his arrest.

Abdenour Sameur, aged 35. Algerian asylum seeker granted residency in 1999. Attended paramilitary training in Afghanistan and is rumoured to have taken part in military operations in the early part of the century before being arrested in Pakistan in 2001. He is back in the UK, but has dropped off the public radar, but hopefully not that of the security services. He seems to have avoided the litigious urges that have taken hold of his fellows – for now.

Jamil el-Banna, aged 46. Jordanian asylum seeker. Apparently an associate of Abu Qatada, Osama Bin Laden’s ambassador in Europe. Arrested in the Gambia in 2002. Also was wanted for questioning by the Spanish authorities regarding the Madrid bombings. Now comfortably ensconced in North London and busy suing the Security Services.

Omar Deghayes, aged 39. Asylum seeker from Libya who has been in the UK since the 1980s. Also was wanted for questioning by the Spanish for connections to the Madrid bombing. Has allegedly appeared on Islamist and Jihadist websites inciting various holy wars around the world. Suing the Security Services.

Bisher al Rawi, aged 41. Illegal Immigrant who arrived from Iraq in the 1990s but overstayed his visa. Arrested alongside Jamil el-Banna in the Gambia in 2002. Returned to the UK in 2007, released and is now suing the security services.

Richard Belmer, aged 29. Islamic convert and a British citizen. Received paramilitary training in Afghanistan. Returned to the UK in 2005 and is now suing the Security Services.

Jamal Udeen Al-Harith, aged 43. Islamic convert (born Ronald Fiddler of West Indian extraction). Actually captured on the ground in Afghanistan by the Taliban while he was trying to get into Afghanistan to help them fight! Rescued and re-arrested by US forces. Returned to the UK in 2004 and, amazingly, not suing anyone.

Moazzam Begg, aged 40. British born and British citizen, his parents are immigrants from India. Arrested in Pakistan for allegedly being an Al Qaeda recruiter. Admittedly has provided financial aid to various Moslem fighters, but denies ever being a combatant himself. After 3 years spent in Cuba, he returned to the UK in 2005 and has spent his time since helping people fight the internments at Guantanamo. His is, of course, suing the Security Services.

Feroz Abbasi, aged 29. Islamic convert, Ugandan immigrant and British Citizen. Arrested in Afghanistan after allegedly attending a number of paramilitary training courses. Returned to the UK in 2005, questioned, and released without charge. Not suing anyone at the moment.

Tarek Dergoul, aged 30. British citizen. Apparently not religious before his detention in Cuba, he claims to have been in Afghanistan (where he was arrested) on business, looking to capitalize on buying property cheaply from refugees. Wounded prior to his arrest and apparently was medically tortured during his internment. Has been back in the UK since 2004 and claiming disability benefit due to his wounds. Suing both the US and UK governments.

Ruhel Ahmed, aged 27. British Citizen. One of the “Tipton Three”. Has admitted to receiving weapons training in Afghanistan, where he was arrested. Returned to the UK in 2004 and is suing the Security Services.

Shafiq Rasul, aged 32. Another “Tipton Three” guy, also a British Citizen and also arrested in Afghanistan, where he admits that he was given weapons training. Suing the Security Services and the US government.

Asif Iqbal, aged 27. British Citizen and the third of the “Tipton Three”. Also arrested on the ground in Afghanistan. Suing the Security Services.

So there you go. Fourteen men, fourteen “Britons”. Nine British Citizens, one holding dual citizenship with Zambia, seven were born here, six of those born here of the second generation. Four asylum seekers and one illegal immigrant. All of the asylum seekers originated in Islamic countries. Two converts to Islam.

Of all of them, perhaps only Tarek Dergoul could be said to not have any concrete links to terror, either through themselves or through acquaintances, although Dergoul’s story is a bit weak. Several admit to undertaking paramilitary training in Afghanistan, training which I think that we can safely assume they intended to use against Allied forces on the ground, or indeed to perpetrate terrorist atrocities at “home” in the UK.

It is also distressing that most of these criminals have not been incarcerated in the UK. Another example of appeasement and cowardice on the part of our government. Surely training at arms with the intention of fighting the UK or its allies constitutes treason? Surely they are in fact perfectly justified prisoners of war and thus not entitled to formal charges and fixed sentences?

And now most of them are suing various people for their mistreatment and the collusion between the UK and the US for their arrest. This is all that people are focusing on – the aggrieved and hard done by “Britons”, conveniently ignoring the fact that most of them are in fact dangerous Islamists who intended to raise arms against the country that either provided them asylum or indeed protected, educated, and gave their parents citizenship.

I am appalled at this of course. Personally I had no problem at all with Guantanamo. I have no problem at all with holding people who admit to receiving paramilitary training at Islamist camps under lock and key forever if need be. I am perfectly comfortable with “tough” interrogation methods and very draconian and Spartan treatment of these traitors. I am even perfectly fine with their execution for treason, if only our government had the minimals to carry out such a sentence.

I am not comfortable with the media sympathy for men who would have fired on our own soldiers in Afghanistan if they had been given the opportunity. I am not comfortable with their claiming benefits and getting generous treatment from a contrite and shame faced government (who for once have NOTHING to be ashamed about). I am not comfortable with the precedent of these criminals being exonerated simply due to their being incarcerated without charge for so many years – they are NOT civil criminals, they are traitors and prisoners of a war being fought without borders.

I can only hope their attempts to sue the various governments and agencies involved in their incarceration fail completely, but I doubt that they will. In this issue, as in so many others, the government will doubtless roll over for the liberals and the special interests, for the radicals and the demonstrators, for the bleeding hearts and the short sighted chatterati. It makes me feel physically ill.