From Elias Davidsson to Sabin Willett,
October 07, 2006 3:37 AM

Dear Sabin Willett,

I hope my email will reach you. I just read your eloquent and moving lecture you gave at Princeton on the Guantanamo issue. What you said there echoed with much of what I had already read elsewhere. It added a strong moral and human touch to the facts. Your text should be compulsory reading among politicians and public officials around the world.

As transpires from your account, most, if not all detainees in Guantanamo are innocent of any terrorism. The undertaking is plainly phony, if it is purported to be a tangible part of the "war on terrorism". I have no doubt that the US administration is fully aware of the phony nature of this undertaking.

What I missed in your account is some explanation why the US administration would go to such lengths to establish and maintain a phony undertaking, knowing well that none of the detainees are terrorists. The short answer would be that the administration wanted to show that it did "something" in its "war on terror". But such answer would not provide a plausible explanation for an undertaking which cause a very bad press to the US and international outrage. As you mention yourself, some Taliban leaders are now serving in the Afghan legislature, one of them is studying in the US, Al Qaeda leaders in US custody have not been charged and the US has shown no interest in finding and detaining Osama bin Laden. So what would have been the purpose of Guantanamo? Could you suggest a plausible explanation?

With my kindest greetings and best wishes,

Elias Davidsson
Reykjavik, Iceland

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Sabin Willett to Elias Davidsson
On 7.10.2006, at 09:25

Dear Mr. Davidsson

Thanks very much for your note. I think the answer lies in understanding what guantanamo really was conceived of in the first place — which is not a prisoner of war camp. It was really conceived of as an interrogation facility. The idea was that we would gather a variety of potential intelligence sources, hold them in isolation, and learn the different pieces of the intelligence "mosaic." I stress, "potential." Where to get the potential sources in a country, afghanistan, where one knows almost nothing of the language, culture, tribal alliances? we did it the american way — we bought it. Lots of pakistanis and Afghans cashed in "terror suspects." The money was good.

At the time, nobody was thinking of what we would ultimately do with all these people — lets just interrogate them and sort wheat from chaff, was the idea, and like so many things this administration has done, "we'll figure it out later."

Turns out — lots of chaff. Lots and lots. And now it's "later" and they have no clue what to do.

75% of the camp hasn’t been interrogated in years.

Regards
Sabin

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From: Elias Davidsson to Willett, P. Sabin
Saturday, October 07, 2006 11:03 AM

Thank you Sabin for your prompt answer. It appears that you ascribe to the US administration some happy-go-lucky nature, something rather inconsistent with their efforts to prevent any court trial of these people, and inconsistent with their fear of any investigation of the 9/11 events. Why do they fear to have 9/11 investigated and the facts publicized?

Elias

On 7.10.2006, at 15:12, Willett, P. Sabin wrote:

No, I hardly think this administration happy go lucky. I would say rather that they are inept, arrogant, and contemptuous of the rule of law, and politically amoral. They exploit fear as a powerful motivator of the electorate. Practically, they start projects without the judgment, ability or foresight to see the consequences. And they thrive on secrecy.

I'm not so sure what you mean about having 9/11 investigated. I do not subscribe to the view that 9/11 was some kind of US-involved conspiracy. I believe it was mass-murder, carried out by criminals.

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From Elias Davidsson to Sabin Willett
7. okt