Left Forum Panel Discussion on Guantanamo

Eleven years since the building of the US prison at Guantánamo, and nine years after disclosures of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib, US policy has settled into de facto indefinite detention of thousands. Thousands are held without the right to habeas corpus in the former US prison at Bagram, Afghanistan and rendition to countries that torture has not ended. Prisoners in Guantánamo began a hunger strike 123 days ago in desperation as no one has left since 2010 except in a coffin, forcing Obama to claim, again, that he “wants” to close the prison, but with no timetable. The provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 are still in force, despite court challenges, allowing the president to order US citizens and others who are “part of or substantially supported al Queda, the Taliban or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners” and anyone who commits a “belligerent act” against the US to be held indefinitely without charge. Features a multi-media presentation with slide show of art against torture. Debra Sweet – World Can’t Wait, Jeremy Varon – Witness Against Torture, Golnaz Fakhimi – International Justice Network