Not Just Safe...Torture-free, Too

This concerns comments by Brigadier General Edward Leacock, Deputy Commander of detention operations at Gitmo, as reported in the New York Times ("Colonel Submits Guantanamo Investigation," AP, 12/10/06.)

Two things caught my attention here. First, it is highly unusual for a Brig. General to serve as operations officer for less than 500 prisoners. Infantry Batalion Operations officers are usually Majors. Infantry Battalions usually have more than 500 personnel assigned. Why a Brigadier--do we have that many to spare? My guess is that is lends an aura of importance to an otherwise mundane operation. The message is, we're presiding over some pretty Big Dogs here. Your streets will be much safer now, thanks to our humane (in case you didn't notice) holding pens.

If the Gitmo operations officer is an 07 BG, then the commander must be God himself.

Second, Leacock says of the prisoners, "Here they're treated safely and humanely, and more importantly, there's no torture."

Remember when Generals used to be soldiers, and not word manipulators? Maybe they're treated as he states, but after 4 1/2 years, there still have been no trials, and the prisoners have not been afforded POW status covered under the Geneva Convention. Further, most articles indicate that the prisoners are socially isolated.

This alone sounds like torture to me.