Dead Men Left

Friday, May 28, 2004

There's something more than a little odd about this Hamza business. Granted, he has highly obnoxious views; but wouldn't the fact that he shoots his mouth off so publicly - quite apart from his somewhat distinctive appearance - make him precisely the worst person to have involved in any sort of terrorist network, as the US authorities are keen to allege? But then we see that quite a chunk of their apparent evidence appears to have been obtained in Guantanamo Bay. There are solid utilitarian reasons to avoid relying upon evidence obtained through torture: victims simply tell their interrogators whatever they want to hear. If even a fraction of the abuses the released detainees allege were committed there occurred, it is difficult to place too much faith in any supposed "evidence" that was obtained.