Foreign Correspondent

Cuba: Inside Gitmo (2014x7)

Air date: Apr 29, 2014

“Should we close Gitmo? Absolutely. It’s a blight on our history and I say this as a man who helped create it.” So says retired General Michael Lehnert, who 12 years ago was given orders to build cells at the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, which the United States has “leased” from Cuba for more than 100 years. General Lehnert supervised the building of Camp X-ray, the steel framed cages, open to all weathers, which it was proclaimed would house “the worst of the worst” - terrorists involved in the aircraft hijackings which had killed 3,000 innocents in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Lehnert says that in the wake of the 9/11 attacks the opening of Guantanamo was understandable, but can now be seen to be a tragic mistake. “I think that Guantanamo stands as a recruiting poster for terrorists,” - General Michael Lehnert One of the reporters watching in February, 2002 as orange clad figures, hand-cuffed and foot-shackled were dragged into their cells, was Washington Correspondent Lisa Millar. Returning to Guantanamo for Foreign Correspondent Millar was able to re-visit Camp X-ray, now abandoned to encroaching jungle, and to tour Camps 5 and 6 where the majority of the prisoners are held. It was an immensely frustrating experience being rushed down claustrophobic corridors, banned from filming the inmates or even talking to them off camera. One prisoner - Shaker Aamer arrived on Valentine’s Day, in February, 2002. He was in terrible shape having endured months of imprisonment and torture in Afghanistan but the camp commander brought joyous news. His son, Faris, had been born in England, joining three older siblings. Shaker Aamer has never been charged with any crime, let alone been put on trial and wants desperately to rejoin his family. Seven years ago he was cleared for transfer out of Guantanamo. But he and 153 others remain locked down - indefinitely - despite President Barack Obama’s promise five years ago to close what has