Guantanamo Bay: Truth behind mystery, scandal

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chad Thompson
  • 90th Space Wing Public Affairs
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  Imagine an island, slightly smaller than Pennsylvania, with a population of about 11 million people, where palm trees and cacti live on the same shore, and iguanas are as common there as squirrels are in America.

In this place there is a U.S. naval station that houses one of the most notorious detention camps in the world, and it is home to about 280 terrorists.

This is Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba, and Capt. Kenneth Artz, 90th Space Wing judge advocate, was deployed there in 2007.

Captain Artz said that his five months in Guantanamo Bay were some of the most eye opening experiences of his life. He learned first hand about the enemies that wish to destroy America and the freedoms Americans enjoy.

"Every day, the detainees hatch plots to escape, kill a guard, or try and kill themselves," he said.

"They are still in the business of martyring themselves for their cause," he added.

The detainees may have their agendas, but GTMO, as many people call it, has a reason for being there.

"The detention facility was created for two main reasons: to keep the terrorists from returning to the battlefield and to gather much needed intelligence on transnational terrorists," Captain Artz said. "And they have done a magnificent job of doing both."

During the captain's deployment, more than 700 terrorists have passed through the gates of Guantanamo Bay with about 500 being released and returned to either their home country or another country willing to accept them. And of the 700 terrorists that have passed through the walls, not one of them has been tortured or abused, Captain Artz said.

"I know this because it is our job to investigate all allegations of abuse. Every time a detainee would scream abuse, the SJA office would run in and interview the detainee, the guards and the interrogators," he explained.

The facility follows strict U.S. military and international standards that ensure each detainee is treated humanely and respectfully, said Navy Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby, commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, in a recent story released by the Defense Department.

"We like to think that we meet or exceed those standards, in terms of what we provide them and the distance that we go to ensure that their [living] conditions are as humane as possible, given the fact that they are being incarcerated," Admiral Buzby said.

Fair treatment is important, and it's part of the SJA's job to be involved in interrogations. Captain Artz said he experienced a few that stand out in his mind.

"As a part of my job, I watched more than 100 interrogations of detainees," he said. "I was struck by the friendly tone the majority of these interrogations took. Most of these interrogations were conducted over junk food brought by the interrogator to the detainee."

Captain Artz said many of the detainees enjoy the interrogations because they are given liberties that aren't normally allowed in their day-to-day activities, but that doesn't mean they aren't getting valuable information.

Even to this day, detainees that have been in captivity for almost six years are still providing valuable intelligence that is being used in Iraq and Afghanistan to kill the enemy, Captain Artz said. "But a question that always arises is, 'What do we do with these terrorists now?'"

If the 280 detainees were released, Captain Artz believes that many would go right back to terrorizing the world because they are extremely dedicated to their cause.

"We know this because they tell us that. As far as they are concerned, the United States is the enemy, and even though they are in detention, they are still fighting their fight every day."

Many people don't believe what GTMO is doing, it is still providing a valuable service to the nation, he said.

"Being at GTMO opened my eyes to the fact that most people do not understand the good that is coming out of the camps," Captain Artz explained. "GTMO is something our country and world should be proud of, and I am extremely proud to have served there.

"The mission is being accomplished by all services in a highly professional manner. It is and should be the envy of the world," he concluded.