Suicides at Guantamo Bay: An Act of War?

(AP) The United States Military’s Southern Command reported three enemy combatants detained at Guantanamo Bay committed suicide by hanging themselves. Despite heroic measures taken by guards and medical staff the prisoners could not be revived.

As a recent uprising used the cover of attempted suicides, how long did guards wait after discovering the prisoners to assure they would not be caught in a similar trap? Was it long enough to impact the prospect of the detainees’ survival?

A Rear Admiral called the suicides “an act of war”. Legal representatives of the prisoners called them an act of desperation for people “with no rights”. Who did the detainees attack by ending their own lives? Did they attack the American ideal that every person will get justice, their day in court? Did they shoot down our country’s rich history of freedom of speech, even if their last act happened to be one of defiance? Did they torpedo the United States leader of the free world in guaranteeing human rights? Did they spit on America’s spirit of openness and honesty in dealing with our neighbors?

The answer is no to all of them. We drove the Trojan horse inside our own gates. We let loose the dogs of war and they lit into justice, freedom, human rights, and transparency in our own back yard. The list of people, organizations and countries calling for the closure of Guantanamo Bay is long. The United Nations added their name to the list just months ago after getting a hollow invite to tour the facility but not meet with detainees.

What will be the reaction of the American people to three more deaths? Will it even hit the average citizen’s radar screen? How will the Bush administration respond? Will it be another victory in the war on terror as three more bad, dangerous people are gone a la Al-Zarqawi?

As the United States is in war mode with virtually everybody, who will we attack next, verbally or physically? John Bolten came out swinging just days ago, stung from critical remarks made by the U.N. Deputy Secretary General. Which other leaders with intermittent explosive disorder will go into a rage and over what issues? And why, when the Bush administration is angry, upset and attacking perceived threats does it always seem to land a punch on itself?

I guess when the wounds show, they must be attributed to an act of war, even when self-inflicted…