Legal Commentary

Gitmo Detainees to be Allowed Phone Calls

By Jeralyn

The Defense Department is instituting a new policy for the Guantanamo detainees. They will be allowed to phone home -- once every six months for an hour.

The Bush Administration thinks this demonstrates "commitment to maintaining the health and well-being of Guantanamo detainees." More likely, it is intended to boost the image of the gulag before the Supreme Court decides the next case on the detainees' rights.

Reactions from some of their defense lawyers: [More...]

Marc Falkoff, a Northern Illinois University law professor who represents 17 detainees, said one of his Yemeni clients has a 6-year-old daughter with whom he has never spoken.

"To be honest, I don't know whether speaking with her will lift him from his depression or simply shatter him," said Falkoff, who added that the man has grown so hopeless he has asked his lawyers to stop meeting with him.

Another says: "I will believe it when I see it."

No start date has been set for the calls, nor has the Penatagon said which detainees will be able to have the phone calls.

Nor has the Administration explained why it no longer deems the calls to be a security threat. Perhaps because those being detained aren't security risks?

In any event, it's clear the detainees are getting more frustrated as their plight seems increasingly hopeless. The frustration undoubtedly makes them harder to manage.

Another recently instituted change to counter the frustration: offering the detainees "humanities courses."

Full post as published by TalkLeft on March 12, 2008 (boomark / email).