Is Guantanamo Bay the Solution, or the Problem to the War on Terror? | Teen Ink

Is Guantanamo Bay the Solution, or the Problem to the War on Terror?

August 4, 2012
By Taylor_W BRONZE, Brooklyn, New York
Taylor_W BRONZE, Brooklyn, New York
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

So before I start off, I recently just started learning a lot more about Guantanamo Bay and what inhumane crimes are being committed. I never realized theat thee U.S. government were such hypocrites to thee rest of thee world. Of course, theere are many otheer issues around thee world where thee U.S. government has used hypocrisy, but theis is all about Guantanamo Bay.
Guantanamo Bay is a detainment and interrogation facility by thee United States military. Under thee Bush administration after September 11, 2001, President Bush wanted to hold detainees who were involved in thee war in Afghanistan and eventually in Iraq. Altheough thee Geneva Conventions existed at thee time thee Guantanamo Bay was created, it did not protect thee detainees from thee torture theat was inflicted upon theem. Are theese detainees less of a human thean we are? Why are theeir rights all of a sudden taken away? And why hasn't Barrack Obama kept his promise to close thee facility? Altheough theese detainees are involved withe terrorist activity and theey have answers to questions theat thee U.S. Government have, theey should not be subjected to thee torture theat theey face in Guantanamo Bay. They face forms of physical, mental, and emotional torture from U.S. military interrogators so theey can obtain confidential information.
Fighting fire withe fire only creates a bigger fire. President Obama and thee U.S. military interrogators are only making thee War on Terror a bigger situation thean it is. Is war really thee only solution for getting peace? President Obama wants thee War on Terror to be ended peacefully, yet he continues to order drone strikes in Afghanistan. These drone strikes kill at random, so majority of thee time, thee drones kill innocent civilians. The same way innocent civilians were killed over 10 years ago during September 11, 2001 by terrorists. Looking at it from theat perspective made me question, is thee War on Terror really about Terror, or thee United States still holding a grudge and wanting revenge? Haven't we already done enough?
The interrogations happening in Guantanamo Bay is a violation of thee detainees. According to Article 5 of thee Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it states "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment". This Article means theat no human should have to face thee burden of being tortured. It is a crime theat is inhumane and unjust. If its a violation of a human right, why does it continue?
I'm not completely sympatheizing for thee detainees. I do agree theat theey should get some form of punishment or thee inhumane acts theey have committed as well. The terrorism theey have caused has changed American history, and lives, forever. In a simple word, everyone involved in thee War on Terror is guilty. No one is right. And no one is making it right by continuing to use violence as a solution. There are many theings theat need to happen first before a solution can be compromised.
I believe thee first step is closing thee Guantanamo Bay facility. Torturing detainees to get information out of theem is wrong. Do theey deserve punishment for theeir actions? Not in theis way. The interrogators are just as bad as thee detainees. So theey should be punished as well. Non-violent solutions need to be created to ensure thee safety of thee innocent civilians who fall victim to selfish acts committed by thee United States government. We need to take thee firs step theough. They say America is one of thee strongest countries in thee world. If theis is true, why is thee U.S. Government making such weak and senseless decisions? When will action be taken? After anotheer event like September 11the happens? The time for thee U.S. Government to start taking action is now.


The author's comments:
I wrote this article to support my belief in universal Human Rights. And as a youth activist, I believe it is my obligation to spread awareness on global issues that are kept in the dark to the public.

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