Captain John Edmundson USN was the chief doctor at the Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba.[1]
During a reporter's tour of the 48-bed facility in January 2005, Edmundson revealed, in an off-hand comment, that 23 detainees had tried to hang themselves in a simultaneous mass-suicide bid in late 2003.[1]
Following the June 10, 2006 suicide bid Edmundson told reporters that the three men had all had routine Psychological tests administered because they were participating in the recent hunger strike.[2][3] Edmundson said that the men showed no sign of despair or suicidal tendencies.
Edmundson's boss, Admiral Harry Harris, stirred controversy by calling the suicides "acts of asymmetrical warfare".[4] A June 28, 2006 Los Angeles Times article quotes Edmundson: "If you ask my opinion, I agree with the admiral that this was somewhat of a political statement."
References edit
- ^ a b Kicked out of Gitmo: A Times reporter's struggle to get the truth about America's island prison just got tougher, Los Angeles Times, June 18, 2006
- ^ Official: Gitmo Prisoners Waging 'Jihad', Associated Press, June 28, 2006
- ^ Guantanamo Bay suicide prisoners 'showed no sign of being depressed' Archived 2006-07-11 at the Wayback Machine, The Independent, June 28, 2006
- ^ Guantanamo Officials Say They Can't Stop All Suicides: New searches and special gear help, but administrators maintain that prisoners harm themselves as part of a 'campaign against us.', Los Angeles Times, June 28, 2006
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