Guantanamo Bay Huger Strike

According to Wikipedia:

Guantánamo Bay hunger strikes began during the middle of 2005, when detainees held by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp initiated two hunger strikes. The detainees organized several widespread hunger strikes to protest their innocence, and the conditions of their confinement. Other captives, such as the men camp authorities asserted committed suicide in June 2006, had committed themselves to long-term hunger strikes, which were not shared by the other captives.

RT reports on the latest developments in this 8 year old hunger strike:

While a mass hunger strike continues at Guantanamo, a spokesperson for the American prison camp has confirmed that the upcoming month long fast for Ramadan will be observed by synchronizing the force-feeding of Muslim inmates.

Navy Capt. Robert Durand has stated that the facility is sufficiently equipped to synchronize the force-feeding of inmates to the Ramadan fast schedule. Captain Durand’s comments were reported by the Miami Herald, while also noting that this will be the twelfth Ramadan, a central religious holiday included among the Five Pillars of Islam, spent in American captivity for most Guantánamo detainees. 

“We understand that observing the daytime fast and taking nothing by mouth or vein is an essential component of Muslim observance of Ramadan,” Durand said.

“And for those detainees on hunger strike we will ensure that our preservation of life through enteral feeding does not violate the tenets of their faith.” 

***

In June, the US Southern Command also requested additional guards for the prison, with a goal of reaching a 2,000-strong staff to deal with the 166 inmates, with the hunger strike leaving most prisoners under single-cell lockdown. 

Forty-six-year-old Shaker Aamer, from London, who has been held at the prison camp without charge for over 11 years, recently confirmed to The Guardian newspaper that prison staff are intensifying efforts to try and break hunger strikes by introducing new equipment. 

One detainee was recently admitted to hospital after having the feeding tube pushed into his lungs rather than his stomach. 

“The administration is getting ever more angry and doing everything they can to break our hunger strike. Honestly, I wish I was dead,” Aamer said from the camp. 

My god, are we not merciful?  While illegally detaining these people, torturing them, force feeding them, and keeping them away form their families for over a decade, we are kind enough to allow them to properly practice their religion.  

The other thing that boggles my mind is that we need 2000 soldiers to watch over 166 caged and broken individuals.  Seems like over kill, but I guess that's the American way, bigger is better.  Restraint and logic be damned.