Sean Murphy of FPA’s Global Film Review blog has posted yet another intriguing post on a documentary called Inside Guantanamo (2009) in which the director interviews those who work with Guantanamo detainees, including former prisoners there and the legal counsel for many current detainees in Guantanamo. With no official legal status of detainee’s being yet determined and no closing date issued for the prison in Guantanamo, many detainee’s will stay in limbo and others have not been accepted by any country upon a possible release. Others issues come as some detainee’s may face torture if returned to their nations of origin. This National Geographic documentary Inside Guantanamo (2009) is a great contribution to the dialogue on rights and issues surrouding terrorism and national security in liberal democracies. Sean’s commentary is below and can be seen below and in FPA’s Global Film Review blog.
The fact that people of all political stripes take issue with this movie goes a long way to revealing its even handedness.
Director Bonni Cohen does a wonderful job of introducing the audience to the men and women who interact with the Guantanamo detainees all day, every day. The prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been holding suspects (dubbed “unlawful combatants”) since the war on terror began after September 11, 2001.
It appears that some people would like to compare practices at Guantanamo with those at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, where clear violations of human rights occurred. Cohen does an end run around the restriction of not being allowed to interview detainees by talking to some former prisoners. Also prominent in this film are those working to secure civilian trials for the detainees. They claim that they should be allowed due process and, if found guilty, should then be imprisoned.
One interesting part of this DVD is a panel discussion hosted by “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace. Wallace gives ample time to panel members, allowing them to expound on their opinions about the prison. One problem that has surfaced regarding Guantanamo is what to do with detainees who can’t or won’t return to their home countries. Some ethnic groups, like China’s Uighurs, face persecution if they return. So many languish in prison indefinitely. With United States President Barack Obama backpedaling on his promise to close Guantanamo by January of this year, the fate of the 215 remaining detainees remains unclear. “Inside Guantanamo,” a National Geographic film, is available for rent. Murphy can be reached at: Lojano at comcast.net
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