Another Suicide at Guantanamo

ABCNews.com

In the news today is a report of the apparent suicide of yet another Guantanamo Bay detainee.

Muhammad Ahmad Abdallah Salih would be the fifth prisoner to take his life at the detention center since the Pentagon began holding terrorism suspects there more than seven years ago.

Salih has been a prisoner at Guantanamo since 2002. Though he was accused of training in Afghanistan for terrorist activity no sort of trial has been held and no formal charges appear to be pending.

The continued costs of Guantanamo in terms of international shame for our nation in addition to the human costs are much too high. The time has come to close the facility, charge and try the prisoners owed due process, and free the ones for whom trial is not warranted. The disgrace represented by Guantanamo will stain our nation for many years into the future, but at least closing the facility allows a start to retribution.

Peace.