Pentagon officials still haven’t come to grips with over 100 of the 166 detainees at Guantanamo Bay being on a hunger strike, but they’re getting closer, recognizing 52 strikers as of today, adding that 15 are currently being force-fed.
Allegations that they believe the strikers are secretly snacking when no one is looking are getting harder and harder to claim, with troops attacking the camp last weekend and forcing everyone into solitary confinement.
The Pentagon is continuing to defend the attack, saying prisoners were refusing to obey the military’s orders and have a sense that they are entitled to “an overabundence of things.”
Primary among the detainees’ “excessive” demands appear to be believing they ought to be released when exonerated of all charges. They have also complained about having religious materials arbitrarily confiscated and lack of access to their lawyers.
The Pentagon is reporting that since going into solitary confinement, detainees are only allowed a single sheet, a prayer mat that also serves as their mattress, and three books. Many of them have not been given their Qurans since the attack on the prison common areas.
