Guantanamo Diary

Another diary posting—this time from Omar in Guantanamo. It was written during the time of the first hunger strike and has apparently been censored when the current hunger strike began.

It’s heart breaking.

I made no edits. The note in the end (regarding censorship) was included in the email I received. I would like to point out that Clive refers to Clive Stafford Smith, the British Human Rights attorney representing many Gitmo prisoners. To learn more about him and Omar's status, read Barbara Slaughter's May article.

British refugee Omar Deghayes’ Diary of the Hunger Strike
(Written from Guantanamo Bay, Camp V, unclassified Sept. 7, 2005)

Sunday 3 [July, 2005]
Jafallah Mari the only Qatari prisoner has fallen in the hunger strike. He was taken to hospital. His weight was 120 pounds now reduced to 103 pounds.

Tuesday 5
Khalid Hatair [Kuwaiti] was found unconscious in his cell when MP’s wanted to give diner food. He was ill because of the hunger strike. He was taken to hospital.

3pm Shammrani was taken to Investigation and asked why the hunger strike. He told her disrespect to all religious rituals and this is the fourth year in prison without any charges or clear decision etc.

Wednesday 6
2pm detainee in cell number A2 started to bleed from hunger strike. He is in the third week of hunger strike. Also the Qatari Jafallah is very sick again they entered his cell with the ERF team to check his blood and pressure.

Friday 8
Many people started to fall from hunger and in Block D in our block etc..

6.05 pm A Doctor and a translator threatening people and shoving them. He says we will force people to take food. Many detainees would want to take some to give them some strength for the days to come instead of trying to solve the problems.

Saturday 9
In the morning before 11am several times Doctor cam around and asked questions. Some show concern. This is a new approach unseen in all previous strikes. Whatever the reason their kinder human attitudes is to be encouraged. And should mend the lost trust between detainees and officials here in the camp.

Monday 11
The Qatari Jafallah is in hospital since last Friday.

5pm I heared that the strike had spread everywhere in Camp I and Camp II and forty detainees in Camp IV, the softest Camp. Camp V still very determined even though we are in the fourth dangerous week. A very good and powerful message to all these arrogant people in charge.

Tuesday 12
The strikers number in our Block has increased greatly I am assured that the strike has certainly spread in all other camps. Many people are in hospital. Qarnain in a serious ill state. I [worried about the] conditions of all detainees. But I found morale [is] very high and everyone is steadfast, they want to go on and just continue whatever the costs, if the Authorities here don’t do something fast to improve things, I think things are getting worse and it will go out of control.

Wednesday 13

3pm many more people have fallen unconscious. Some in Block D others in our Block. Ruhan is taken to hospital.

Thursday 14
More are taken to hospital. From our Block Jamma. In Block C Jihad the Syrian stopped drinking water for 6 days now. Ruhani came back from H. He said it was very busy and the other large hospital is to take the overload.

Tuesday 19

(I am back alive) J
I was very sick [and unable] to write anything last few days in much pain and like dead. Today I heard that [there are] even bigger numbers in Delta Camp. In (Camp 4) 50 refused to go back to their prison in protest. They were all removed to back to Camp Delta. When some U.S. heads asked what they demanded to stop the strike, they said ‘Go and ask Camp V’. Those poor detainees are angry for our treatment and forgotten their own.

Eisa Marbali is taken to hospital, and Ghasan Atabi, in Block A.

In [Block] A (Kazami) in a total refusal of anything (civil strike). They decided to take him away, I don’t know where.

Wednesday 20
Omar Khadr [the Canadian juvenile] is very sick in our Block. He is throwing [up] blood. They gave him cyrum [serum] when they found him on the floor in his cell. Galib Fiyhani also.

11.43 am. Ghasan came back from hospital. He also heard that Camp 4 were given (unusually) nuts and sweets etc... they refused it and said give it to our brothers in Camp V.

Tuesday 19
Supper. We held [a meeting] and talked between us about the dangerous condition of Atabi in front of us, and Sami [Al Laithi] in the wheelchair downstairs. We spoke to the SOG [Sergeant of the Guard] about their treatment. Our concern is that he relays the message. We asked them to take Sami out from Camp V to where he was Camp IV. He needs help and keeping him in this Camp was killing him though they said he was not a danger to U.S.A.

Atabi was given 4 tablets of Motrin daily for more than 2 weeks. He was not given any [real] medicine. Many Doctors who came about to see the strike promised him medicine but nothing came. He was brought from an operation to his cell and we asked them to treat him and keep him in hospital. This drug is a poison if taken in such quantity with all its side effects.

Wednesday 20
1.43 pm Atabi collapsed while he was walking with Guards to the shower.

4.35 pm I tidied my blanket and realised the dirt bad state it is in. Several months, if not a year, since I had a change. No facilities to wash it. Nor the sun – after the hunger strike I started to realise how bad the water smells and tastes. I am very thirsty all the time. I wait for the cup that comes with meals to drink.
- All lessons we had before the strike stopped. Lessons prepared by detainees for each other. I lost my work and revision. No songs or poetry on Friday night anymore. Just, many are falling, and sounds of illnesses. The Block is dead quiet most of the time.

Thursday 21
About 11am a guard moved the Quran of Suhai (Yemeni) in Block B. In protest Rida (Tunisian) was in the rec yard and refused to go in, in protest. They brought him in with the ERF hulligans [hooligans]. Cayous [chaos] in Block B, C and A. Qahatani broke the camera in his cell. ERF moved him to another cell. Other trying to break the little glass on the door. Atmosphere of cayous in the Camp.

- more people are starting tomorrow in the hunger strike.

- from 9 pm to now (10.20 pm) grand consultation (‘Mashura’).

- Abashi who can hardly speak decided alone to hold [accept] his plate against all advice. They refused to give him medicine. He is adding to our sorrow. We said to him, tomorrow they will not give you food. He said he wanted to be in the strike. He only ate [before] because we said if you enter the strike many of us in the Block will eat. So for now he is saying they refuse to give me food, and I have no choice, I am with you in the strike. We are still trying to convince him to [take] his plate. He is refusing. Just more to our sadness and misery to see him suffer.

Sunday 24 July
Wrote the notes about democracy and a long letter to my family. I was up all night. Today tired and strike is even bigger. Many Afghan in Camp Delta joined in. Another Block in Camp Delta of level one joined the strike. I got soap today. I will wash my clothes. Sami lay then under my cell, tried shout and speak to me. But I could not hear him. I shouted he did not hear me either. Yesterday I started revision again.

Monday 25 July
Stopped revision because I am very tired again from the strike. 10.20pm got soap so I washed my shirt. Atabi is gone to meet the lawyer. Omar Ramah is taken to hospital. Shammrani also collapsed at lunch time. Gubran said that they released Jatar, Oshan, and Mohammed Sudani. Good news. I am fed up with the strike. I cannot do my revision and other work. However I am at the last pages of Paxman’s book. Very good book and provokes thoughts and reflection. Though I do disagree on things. But very good book. I think that’s how research on subjects should be done. I wonder if his other books are as good as this. Clive, the Americans did not give me the other books you brought. [My 4 year old] Sulaiman’s pictures: He has not changed a lot. The letters the Americans gave me, only some of them.

Tuesday 26 July
I received four parcels of mail from Clive. Great news in them. Gave the summary to everyone in Block. Another sitting for the details. Clive, I think you still think I don’t trust you, you are completely wrong. I trust you now very much. I noticed that you intended good, done, really, a Great Job. But I think you are wounded deeply. You must forgive me for all the accusations before. You must realise the bad, suspicious conditions we are under, and psychological warfare we are under. This strike is the longest strike of all previous four strikes in these camps. Prisoners are still determined.

[Wednesday 27 July] 9.30 pm – we all decided to end the strike – for one month. Because the General and offiver promised to fulfill many conditions. Shakir [Aamer] is going round the camps and Blocks to relay this message with Colonel. My counting is 26th of July but someone said it is the 27th.

11pm
Reading the news Clive has done so much even for Libya. The conference in London of opposition parties. I think he has [done] a lot to cause it and move the media and ground for such move. He really deserves lots of credit. I hope I can repay you one day. First you move Amnesty later to make a report on Libya. Then brought the media attention and scholars (simply Great work).

Wednesday 27 July
The strike has stoped for one month, to give the General the time he required to implement all conditions he agreed and promised. If demands were not implemented we will (Insh’Allah) return again to hunger strike. We had detainees entering the strike in turns, in groups. One group after another, after a period of time passes. More than 250 striked because there turn has come but there are others who were in there waiting and did not even get the chance to enter yet. The General conditioned that we throw nothing on Guards during this month. He promised treatment under Geneva convention, respect of Qur’an and rituals, religious book and others, better food and conditions and many other things, he said. We will see.

Thursday 28 July
About 4 am I received early morning food before dawn for fast. It was very good. They changed it. It may cost the same price as before. But it was made this time for human beings. It had the same amount of eggs, but this time boiled. The same piece of bread etc… Also, last night sapper was very good though it had the same lentils and same tomato and bread. But was cooked for humans this time. This shows what they were doing before. They intended to make detainees’ life miserable. It was not the cost of food or amount we were complaining about . But exactly what they [have] now done and rectified. Cooked properly for human consumption. We never touched on the problem or articulated specifically this, But they rectified it when things were serious. They knew since [General] Miller changed it to this what the real problem was -- it was [a] deliberate act to cause irritation.

We have no media access. No one knew when we started the strike that the US Government and its cronies where making a big Probagand [Propaganda] about the food and what it costs. Senators reading menus in the Senate!! Etc. The strike and Allah’s will coincided with all the lies making them now, I am sure, look very stupid.

Thursday 28 July [cont’d[
Yesterday [****] came back from meeting his attorney. He said that 3 bombs hit London city. I am thinking who will put such bombs in London in this time!! To whose benefit?? The British people have supported the cause and plight of those mistreated in Gitmo. The media, politicians and human rights lawyers and organizations are in the forefront in talking against Bushes’ policy / who put those bombs and why now? If Iraq was the reason it would have been long ago. *** I do not see how such bombings in London can enhance any Islamic cause. Britain is the best country in the world in treating its Muslim minorities and provides refuge to many others persecuted in their own countries. The relatively fair justice and protection of rights, freedom and religious practice / tolerance that exist is one of the best in world today. Even the Government’s decision to join the war in Iraq, which is a very unwise one, can be changed through media and public awareness. I am sure the majority of British public are against any war, regardless of [the] Bush crusades. Because of this I would conclude no [true] Islamic group would want to bomb London.

Friday 29
After dawn prayer. They brought me some items saying I was Level One as is everyone in the Camp. They gave me is comb. I brushed my hair and beard for the first time since April 2002. We are in July 2005.

9am – I wrote the Blocks’ demands to send them to the detainee the General appointed as a leader of Camp V, because he was to sit with the military soon to give them all demands. The Block sergeant told me he knew about this new arrangement (of official representatives of Detainees and the possibility to send letters to him through heads of Blocks). But he said only the SOG can handle the letters. I asked to see the SOG at 10 am to give him the letter. Then at 10 am he came and said the mechanism to process their exchange of letter has not been implemented yet! And he can not take the letter.

Monday August 1
About 8 o clock. Things are not going good. The food, they went back to previous food all the last days. They changed the food for two days and gave pepper and chili sauce etc. Then they made sure now everyone has ended the strike they then went back as usual. Qhatani down stairs was not given level one clothes. I spoke to the SOG he said the General made so. Because he pulled the hand of a Guard after the agreement I told him that I think he should not have done so. But he did not keep his promise because he was present when the General came in with Shakir and promised that food will change, clean water will be given with meals. International laws would apply to everyone in detention and he asked only for 15 days etc.

When everyone next day ended the strike because to give time to him (General) as he asked to implement these conditions he went back on everything or many things. Qhatani might of felt betrayed as has all his friends have been, then felt wronged and done what he has done. The SOG said I cannot do anything because it is the General’s decision. I told him tell the Colonel that this is how we see it, and we will all stand with him, if he is not given clothes like everybody else.

Then I sent to Quatani asking what exactly has happened with the Guard. I admit I am annoyed with him because he did not tell me in the beginning about it and told me only that they refused to give him clothes.

It does seem very likely that the strike will restart again. I am very frustrated with these cunning officers and worthless men of no word. In Arabia we look down on such people.

Wednesday 3 August 11 pm
Things have improved a lot. This morning, good food. Change of clothes for everyone. New internment clothes. Good T shirts and boxer shorts. Official meeting of all heads of Blocks with pen and paper and cold water was supplied! Heads of camps meet with the General to finalise agreements. Things are very good. J. Relations with the guard improved. All troubles are stopped by an order from head of camps and head of Blocks (detainees of course!).

THE REST OF THE DIARY HAS BEEN CENSORED AS IT RELATES TO WHY THE PRISONERS WENT BACK ON STRIKE, AND APPARENTLY INVOLVES ACTIONS TAKEN AGAINST PRISONERS THAT ARE ‘UNDER INVESTIGATION’.