Publication Date
2020
Document Type
Book
Description
The true nature of Guantanamo is unclear to many Americans, who simply believe it's where terrorists are held. This false idea behind the purpose of the detainment center is a result of the Bush administration's war on terror. The detainees held at the base were captured by, kidnapped by, or sold to the United States as suspects connected with terrorist activities or organizations. The majority of the detainees weren't charged or prosecuted. While at the base, they were subject to cruel punishments and torture such as waterboarding and sodomization. To justify their actions, the Bush government attempted to legalize the abuses by producing legal rhetoric to circumvent the Third Geneva Convention, claiming that members of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban weren't prisoners of war. Our research covers the extent of the many abuses and violations that occurred in Guantanamo as a result of the RDI program from 2002-08. We examined the legal rhetoric used by the Bush administration as well as the unitary executive theory, which gave the president the ability to authorize the inhumane treatment of detainees in Guantanamo. After reviewing the evidence, the question we ask ourselves is should the Bush administration be prosecuted for their actions?
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Recommended Citation
Fay, Dylan and Andrews, Brady, "Torture in Guantanamo: An Examination of the George W. Bush Administration" (2020). Research Days Posters Spring 2020. 25.
https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_spring2020/25