Summary
Why does Al-Haj endure this torture? "Food is not enough for life," he said. "If there is no air, could you live on food alone? Freedom is as important as food or air. Give me freedom, and I'll eat. Every day they ask me, when will I eat? Every day, I say, 'Tomorrow.' Every day. It's what Scarlett O'Hara says at the end of Gone With the Wind: 'Tomorrow is another day.'"
Every morning they insert the tube through Al-Haj's left nostril and every afternoon, his right. According to Al-Haj, the pain of putting the tube up his nose is considerable; he gags when it passes through his throat. As it descends into his body, the attendants blow air into the tube to hear where it is, and then they put a stethoscope near his heart to listen. Most days he suffers in silence until tears stream down his cheeks. Three times they have inserted the tube the wrong way, so it went into his lungs. When they think that has happened they check by putting water into the tube, which makes him choke.See the full content of this document
Extract
Hunger Strikebreakers
Guantánamo is in the grips of a hunger strike-an age-old form of protest that marked such world events as the fight for women's suffrage and Indian independence. The US military's respon...
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