Bewildering stories of espionage are tumbling out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On September 10, 2003, a Muslim U.S. Army chaplain was arrested carrying sensitive documents off the naval base. Now, an Air Force translator of Syrian descent faces serious charges, including spying for the Syrian government, that could bring him the death penalty. Today, news that at least two more members of the U.S. military are under scrutiny hinted that more arrests may come.
Guantanamo Bay is supposed to be America’s super terrorist lockup, where 680 prisoners, Al Qaeda and Taliban members, from 40 countries are being held. Details remain murky, but already trace the outline of scandal. Both the chaplain and the translator talked extensively to Guantanamo prisoners, and may have known each other. The U.S. military is shaken up, and is reportedly launching a much larger investigation.
Click the “Listen” link to hear what lies behind the recent cracks in security at America’s top-secret prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Guests:
John Mintz, writes about homeland security and terrorism for the Washington Post
Scott Silliman, professor at Duke University School of Law, executive director at Duke’s Center on Law, Ethics and National Security, served 25 years in the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Department
Ted Conover, writer for the New York Times Magazine, author of “In the Land of Guantanamo” in the June 29 issue of the New York Times Magazine and of “Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing” and “Coyotes: A Journey through the Secret World of America’s Illegal Aliens”
Milt Bearden, 30-year veteran of the CIA and co-author of “The Main Enemy: The Inside Story of the CIA’s Final Showdown with the KGB”
