Posted on 03/02/2006 11:03:40 AM PST by lpeterboyd
(CNSNews.com) - Suspected terrorists being held at Camp Delta at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba are offered meals that contain more than twice the recommended daily calorie intake, according to American Legion National Commander Thomas Bock, who toured the facility in February.
Bock, who spoke on a panel at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, said detainees are offered "more than 4,200 calories per day." The Department of Health and Human Services makes diet and nutrition suggestions based on a 2,000-calorie per day diet.
The average lunch at Guantanamo, according to Bock, consists of fresh vegetables, meat, rice, two oranges, two apples, two fruit juices, two servings of milk and bottled water. He said it seemed like "an awful lot of food," but added that detainees are "not forced to eat it all."
"They're just making it available to make sure they're not undernourished," Bock said, adding that officials told him the average detainee has gained six pounds while in detention.
Bock praised other living conditions on the base, including shelter and access to recreation and religion.
"They have basketball courts, volleyball courts, and ping pong tables," he said, and "each detainee has their own Koran which is untouched by American hands." He said American service members wear rubber gloves when handling the Muslim holy book.
All cells have arrows pointing toward the Muslim holy city of Mecca and detainees are told when it is time for them to pray, Bock said. Islam requires that its followers face Mecca and pray five times a day.
Human rights groups have criticized the detention centers amid accusations of prisoner abuse and disrespect of the Koran. A May 2005 report from Amnesty International referred to Guantanamo Bay as "the gulag of our times" and a 2006 report from Human Rights Watch highlighted allegations of "prisoner mistreatment."
Jennifer Daskal, an advocacy director for Human Rights Watch who participated in the discussion with Bock, said she wasn't going to debate the living conditions at Guantanamo Bay and instead criticized the Department of Defense for holding "low level" suspects for long periods of time.
What a waste of food.
according to the MSM and liberals, Gitmo is worse than Soviet era gulags in Siberia.
Why are we housing these scum? They should have been shot on site and their bodies cremated.
Obviously, part of Bush's fiendish plan to kill them off through obesity-induced cardiovascular disease.
I triple dare them to say that to the face of a holocaust survivor..
Or to Cuban political prisoners at Holguin prison. Where the women are kept in lightless cells so small they are called "drawers".
I say free all of these dudes and then turn them loose into Cuba. (you could arm them too and tell them where to find the ammo in Havana!) Bet Castro would love that!! I sure would.
Heh... I'm lucky if I can get down 1200 in a day. :\
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