I have to say I am somewhat dismayed by the reaction of the US authorities to the suicide of three Guantanamo inmates:
Rear Adm Harris said he did not believe the men had killed themselves out of despair.
“They are smart. They are creative, they are committed,” he said, quoted by Reuters.
“They have no regard for life, either ours or their own. I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us.”
It’s very smart and creative alright. They really do have no regard for their lives? It was an act of asymmetrical warfare?
It actually reads like something from the Daily Show. Even if these guys were cold-blooded murderers, would they still commit suicide as a method of ‘asymmetrical warfare’? I could understand if they took some of the guards down with them, ala suicide bombing, but what purpose does it serve by simply taking your own life?
In fact, given that these men are incarcerated without trial, without due process, without recourse, and without the normal system open to murderers on US soil, why would they do such a thing.
I have to apply a form of Occam’s Razor (entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem)to this and ask, what is more likely the simplest reason? That they commited suicide as an act of war against the US, or that they were driven to it after 4 or 5 years of internment and extreme interrogation?
You decide.
Comments
3 responses to “Triple suicide at Guantanamo camp”
Invoking Occam’s Razor to haze Rear Adm. Harris’ statement is quite impressive Sheridan. I think
he used the wrong words to get whatever point he was trying to make across. ‘Asymmetrical warfare?’… not exactly sure what he means by that but I do know uneven, unbalanced can easily come into play besides irregular. The falsifiable aspect of Ockham’s principals “it must be remotely possible” can play either side. Thought provoking stuff … but I’d wager the absence of due process, 4 – 5 years of internment and interrogation, etc. played a signifcant role in their decision.
The Admiral is not a prison warden although he sits in a position where some might think that’s his main job. Those running Gitmo’s prison often lack the skills expected by prison officials who are career professionals. It doesn’t surprise me to read responses such as that from Admiral Harris.
Just a shame the response was worsened today by Colleen Graffy saying it was a good PR move.