Captive's library in Guantanamo

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Privileged captives in Camp 4 wait for books.
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The library made available to captive's held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba, is notable for the controversy it has stirred.

Access to books, particularly the Harry Potter series, is widely described as a sign that the conditions for the captives has improved.[1][2][3][4]

The Department of Defense reports that Guantanamo captives have access to 3,500 volumes, though they are attempting to increase the collection to 10,000–20,000[2][5][6]

Guantanamo captives such as David Hicks reported that the "reading room" did not contain any reading material itself.[7] They have to "order" books in advance.[5] According to the Library Journal the Associated Press reported that the captives have been known to use the books to pass messages to each other. Now each book is checked when it was returned. Captives who break this rule lose their library privileges.

Popular books and authors include the Harry Potter series, Agatha Christie mysteries, Khalil Gibran, self-help manual Don't Be Sad[5] and the The Lord of the Rings.[8][9]

Contents

[edit] Letter from "Abdul Aziz"

On July 22, 2007 Andy Worthington published an article which quoted extensively from a recently declassified letter from a Guantanamo captive identified as "Abdul Aziz".[10][11] The surname of the author of the letter was withheld. He reported that after being offered the same two boxes of tattered books for years he asked the library clerk to stop visiting his cell.

[edit] Content policy

Lists of "authorized" and "restricted" content.

On October 11 2009 the Miami Herald published lists of the kind of content captives were "authorized" and "restricted" to access.[12]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Pols: Gitmo Conditions Have Improved". Fox News. Monday, June 27, 2005. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,160688,00.html. Retrieved 2007-07-25. 
  2. ^ a b Andrew Selsky (September 24, 2006). "Guantanamo Inmates Turn to Library Books: Guantanamo Inmates Achieve a Measure of Escape Through Library Books; Nonfiction Most Popular". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2485063. Retrieved 2007-07-25. 
  3. ^ Rachel Williams (September 24, 2006). "Terrorist detainees spellbound by Harry Potter tales". The Scotsman. http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1368962006. Retrieved 2007-07-25. 
  4. ^ Jackson Diehl (Monday, July 23, 2007). "Pistachios at Guantanamo". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/22/AR2007072200882.html?hpid=opinionsbox2. Retrieved 2007-07-25. 
  5. ^ a b c "The Library at Guantanamo: 4200 Titles Under High Security". Library Journal. 10/5/2006. http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6378199.html. Retrieved 2007-07-25. 
  6. ^ "Ten Facts about Guantanamo". Department of Defense. September 14, 2006. http://www.defenselink.mil/home/dodupdate/For-the-record/documents/20060914.html. Retrieved 2007-07-25. 
  7. ^ Jonathan Pearlman (November 28, 2006). "Hicks's window on the world". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/hickss-window-on-the-world/2006/11/27/1164476134575.html. Retrieved 2007-07-25. 
  8. ^ Ben Fox (2008-04-10). "Gitmo prisoner rejects military trial". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 2009-10-22. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boston.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Flatinamerica%2Farticles%2F2008%2F04%2F10%2Fanother_gitmo_prisoner_refuses_lawyer%2F&date=2009-10-22. 
  9. ^ Lesley Clark (2006-11-04). "What's a bored detainee to do? Check a book out of the library". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 2009-10-22. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.miamiherald.com%2F1377%2Fstory%2F284843.html&date=2009-10-22. 
  10. ^ Andy Worthington (Sunday July 22, 2007). "Guantánamo's Library: Adding Insult to Injury". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-worthington/guantanamos-library-ad_b_57320.html. Retrieved 2007-07-25. 
  11. ^ "The itinerant box Library". cageprisoners.com. July 20, 2007. http://www.cageprisoners.com/articles.php?id=21154. Retrieved 2007-09-03. 
  12. ^ "Guidelines for inclusion in prison camp library". Miami Herald. 2009-10-11. Archived from the original on 2009-10-22. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.miamiherald.com%2Fnews%2Fmore-info%2Fstory%2F1277709.html&date=2009-10-22. 
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