"I want to see US" says freed Afghan

Irish Independent ^ | 3-17-2004

[Prince Charles]

I want to see US says freed Afghan

FOR a man who had just been freed after two years in Guantanamo Bay, it seemed odd that Haji Osman said he wanted to visit the "good people" in the US, writes Hamida Ghafour.

Osman (35), had just been flown back to Kabul with 22 other men accused of links to the Taliban regime.

But he said yesterday he did not resent his captors and Camp Delta was not as bad as rural Afghanistan.

Osman said: "If you compare it to life in the village, it was good, except we were not free. The food was fresh: chicken, fish, meat, rice and even bananas and oranges." (© Daily Telegraph, London)

[Pan_Yans Wife]

ping

[CasearianDaoist]

Just keep him out of New Jersey, we would not want him to get the wrong idea.

[ladtx]

Guess he didn't get the: "Gitmo is a hell-hole of a concentration camp" memo.

[Piranha]

Uh, if you don't mind, why don't you stay in Afghanistan and we'll send postcards.

[Prince Charles]

They must not have let him watch CNN, MSNBC or DNC-SPAN down at Gitmo.

[eyespysomething]

We can send a fruit basket.

[traumer]

take him to WALMART - to see the real America...

[twigs]

This isn't the first story like this coming out of Gitmo. Recently, a young teen-ager was released and his father was interviewed. Said it was the best thing that could have happened to him. He was well fed and cared for and got an education, including learning English, that he could never have received in Afghanistan. He came back a more mature young man.

[Alberta's Child]

I remember reading that story. The kid grew so much at Gitmo that when he got back to Afghanistan he looked like an NFL linebacker amongst a bunch of adolescent gymnasts.

[Physicist]

But he said yesterday he did not resent his captors and Camp Delta was not as bad as rural Afghanistan.

Sorry, pal. Let's assume that for every 100 former Gitmo detainees who have fallen in love with America, there's only one who wants to come here to blow something up. That's still too many. Maybe instead you can try to make Afghanistan a little bit more like America.

[kcvl]

Guantanamo A Good Time?

Another young Afghan boy is saying that -- contrary to complaints from Human Rights Watch -- he had a wonderful time as a detainee in Guantanamo Bay. Fourteen-year-old Asad-ullah, who spent 14 months there, says -- "I am lucky I went ... and now I miss it. ... Americans are great people."

Asad-ullah, now back at home in the eastern Logar Province, says he spent his days watching movies, playing football, and going to class -- where he was fascinated by lessons on the solar system. As for his future, he tells London's Guardian -- "I would like to be a doctor, an engineer, ... or an American soldier."

[Prince Charles]

Yep, the reality of the situation today is that we have no idea whether this guy wants to come here to visit, or to reconnoiter targets for AQ.

[Paradox]

-- "I would like to be a doctor, an engineer, ... or an American soldier."

Aw heck, this kinda puts a tear in my eye, really. Who knows, maybe this kid has really been changed? It would be a great story, would really make the liberals puke!

[Just mythoughts]

Maybe we can trade JFKerry for this guy for a month. Let him see how the rich liberals live, that did not support "freedom" in that desolate forsaken place the Taliban ruled.

Mrs. Heinz is always looking for good charity cases.

[McGavin999]

There's hope for these guys yet. At least for some of them.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks, PYW.

((Hugs))

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

FOR a man who had just been freed after two years in Guantanamo Bay, it seemed odd that Haji Osman said he wanted to visit the "good people" in the US, writes Hamida Ghafour.

Bad news for domestic bad guys!

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[Valin]

Bump!