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July 15, 2013

Pentagon Reduces Count of Guantánamo Hunger Strikers 
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The Pentagon is claiming the hunger strike at Guantánamo Bay is on the
decline. The military's count of prisoners on hunger strike has slowly
dropped over the past several days from a high of 106 to as low as 81. A
prisoner must fast for several consecutive days to be designated a
hunger striker, and military officials say 99 of the estimated 102
hunger striking prisoners have recently eaten meals. An estimated 45
prisoners are still being force-fed through nasal tubes. The Guardian
reports the Pentagon's estimate may be taking advantage of a brief pause
in the hunger strike with the holy month of Ramadan. A defense attorney
says the prisoners are likely taking in token amounts of food to honor
the tradition of breaking the daily Ramadan fast. The hunger strike
began in February in protest of the prisoners' indefinite captivity and
President Obama's failure to deliver on his promise to close
Guantánamo.

 

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