Posted on 08/29/2009 5:29:18 PM PDT by Sergeant Tim
A former Guantánamo guard who had flown to the UK to address a support group for inmates of the camp is to be deported back to the US this morning after being denied entry on arrival at Heathrow airport yesterday.
Terry Holdbrooks, who has been an outspoken critic of the US government over the treatment of prisoners at Guantánamo, said that immigration officials told him he was being refused entry because he was unemployed and living in rented accommodation in the US, raising suspicions he would not leave the UK. The former soldier, who converted to Islam after discussions with prisoners at Guantánamo, was due to address a meeting tonight by Cageprisoners, a support group that had paid for his ticket.
Holdbrooks told the Observer that he had also been detained and questioned by US airport officials on Thursday, as he attempted to complete the first stage of his journey by air via Arizona and Minnesota.
"I will never come back to Britain after this," Holdbrooks told the Observer by phone from Heathrow, where he was being detained, and prevented from collecting his luggage.
"The UK has been an ally of the US, but has not been an active participant in some of the things the US had been doing. I've changed my attitude after this. I was just taken aside after I arrived, I had my bags searched, and was asked repeatedly like, 'did I have a girlfriend?' and 'did I rent?' "
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
CP: So you kind of answered my next question as to what were your feelings when you were given the orders to guard the base, but further than that, what was your perception of the “War on Terror” and those you were soon to guard?
TH: Honestly at that point in time, I would have to say I didn’t have enough knowledge about it--I don’t think I had a formulated opinion, nor did I perhaps care. What happened on September 11th has come to me, as with those who’ve known me a long time, has caused me to have a nickname as a ‘sociopath’, due to the fact I didn’t care. September 11th happened and it didn’t phase me--in fact I thought it was about time America got one--it should’ve happened a long time ago--we’re not untouchable, we’re not some magical country--we’re some high-horse-riding, our s*** don’t stink, unlearned individuals.
So it wasn’t really a surprise to me--I didn’t feel too much emotion about it, and when I look back, I think it was just before we went to Guantanamo we stopped in New York City and saw Ground Zero. And I saw a quote on a wall that somebody had written, ‘This was the worst tragedy that happened to mankind’, and all I could really fathom was the numbers--how it was that 2700 people passing away was the worst tragedy that happened to mankind? What about the Armenian Genocide or the Crusades, or any of the other horrible atrocities that have occurred--how was this so awful? So, I suppose to answer your question, it wasn’t perhaps such a concern of mine--I didn’t have enough knowledge to formulate an opinion, and as such I went down with a very open mind. I wasn’t entirely happy to be a prison guard, it was merely another desk job--it wasn’t what I wanted to do in the military, but nonetheless it was a deployment, it was something new, it was a change of pace, so I was halfway excited about that.
Dude, I think that's the point.
Terry Holdbrooks, we don’t want you either, you muzzie convert POS!
ping
I believe a trial for TREASON is in order, with a noose at the end of it.
IMO, he's making this stuff up (or exaggerating it at least) for attention.
Mrs. PoS
I suspect Britain can get over it.
Terry Holbrooks
Love the tagline.
My couz had me yelling at a U of P rally for Goldwater, “AU, H20”!
I think it stuck.
Terry Holdbrooks
Picture of a man with a weak mind. Or he's been planted here to emerge and proclaim the superiority of yzlumb at the proper time. Or more probably both.
The British have enough problems with millions of Muslims in their country, last thing they need is this malcontent
to add to the mix.
The vast majority who served there did so honorably and without thanks. We thank them for their great service to our nation.
Nice earring, freakshow.
Oh. That guy.
Brain Damaged, without question. It’s people like this that made me give up writing fiction. I can’t make it up faster than the Real World formulates these people. He sounds like the First Person narrator of Catcher In The Rye.
LOL! Now who’s “making stuff up”? Just what neighborhood was this? See if you can tell me the truth.
Hey Noob - Scottsdale, Arizona. How’s it going, TJ?
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