Guantanamo

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Guantanamo

Paolo Pellegrin

As his first order of business, President Obama, signed executive orders to close Guantanamo Bay detention center within a year and end the C.I.A.'s secret interrogation program.

As photojournalists, we are compelled to tell the story and let the view make up their mind. Although, the photographs are great you have failed in the endeavor. There are so many questions and directions you could have chosen to go and you chose this. It's your choice and your piece, but where is the objectivity. What about the number of formerly held fighters returning to the battlefield? What about the intelligence gained? We'll never know to what extent, because by its definition intelligence is a secret. American are not only exposes to this, they are inundated with it. That's all they hear about. The world is comparing the treatment of 500+ dangerous people to Soviet Gulags, the German Concentration Camps, even the Saddam's Iraqi torture chambers. They are equating their leadership to Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot. Keep in mind, a lot of these prisoners use the word torture rather freely. I know if I was caught by ANY government and put on display...I'd say I was tortured too.

Comment posted by bp (not verified) on January 26th, 2009

In the end, the feeling that i get from this portrait of Guantanamo is of a disturbing emptiness. Dispite the sctrict control by the us military, the result of Pellegrin effort is remarcable. good work.

Comment posted by JoÃ£o Pedro Marnoto (not verified) on March 20th, 2007

Very powerful. Why aren't the American people exposed more to things like this?

Comment posted by Ed Engelmann (not verified) on March 21st, 2007

I would like to express my respect to Paolo for the work he has done here. He has taken something extremely difficult to translate visually and worked with the limitations to create a document which aids in our understanding of the controversy which is Guantanamo. It is a tremendous body of work and sets a standard for journalistic integrity. He also succeeds in raising questions which challenge the current US administration's entire moral stance for their so-called "war on terror".

Comment posted by Brent Stirton (not verified) on March 25th, 2007

when you try and kill the monster, make sure you dont become the monster in doing so. violence only begets violence, it is thus and has always been so.

Comment posted by eric (not verified) on March 25th, 2007

Guantanamo is not, it seems to me, primarily a detention and interrogation center. It is a symbol of dehumanization, for both interrogators and especially their wretched subjects. The place stinks of inhumanity, in the same way that French centers in the 1950's where they "interrogated" and often tortured and executed Algerians stank. Such symbols of dehumanization express the banality of evil. What Guantanamo represents is not just unjust treatment of detainees. It represents a policy of institutionalized dehumanization, and in the end, it corrups not just those who embrace it (interrogators, the government, and public supporters), but the entire American nation. Guantanamo is a blight on the conscience of mankind. Thanks for the impressive slide.

Comment posted by Mike (not verified) on April 2nd, 2007

Why do the people of the USA let this happen ? This once great nation is losing its friends by corrupt actions of its leaders.

Comment posted by nw (not verified) on April 3rd, 2007

To answer the above questioner: there are many Americans who strongly disapprove of torture and warmongering, and ridicule and shame the leaders. The problem is that we have an imperial president who disregards what most of his citizens want or think. Of course, I doubt Bush would have been able to keep getting away with what he has if press freedom wasn't so limited in the U.S. and propaganda and manipulation so high.

Comment posted by Mike (not verified) on April 3rd, 2007

When I was a child. I had to learn to be thankful to the americans for bringing peace and freedom to europe, especially to germany. Thank you americans for showing the world how you continue the great american tradition to make friends in the world, eventhough to whom who doesnÂ´t wanna be your friends. Any american ever heard some Â´bout "FASHISM" ??? Thanks to Mr. Pellegrin and team for that great work. J.Randak, Berlin, Germany

Comment posted by Joerg Randak (not verified) on April 11th, 2007

And of course, these two things put together, one begs the question, Is a degree of intelligence worth it?

Comment posted by james williamson (not verified) on April 16th, 2007

Hi, I'm a fan, but there's a bug on "the bonus". May be I'm the bug, but there's no time to read. Enjoy ! I do

Comment posted by David (not verified) on April 25th, 2008