US never acts with decency: Ex-US Marine

Press TV has conducted an interview with Ken O’Keefe, a former US Marine based in London, to discuss the conditions in which ex-Guantanamo prisoners are living after their release.

Press TV: Mr. O’Keefe, that guy over there was very calm after thirteen years of being held in detention, and protesting, using his freedom of expression there, but I would think if I would be in his place, would do a lot worse things. However, how can they get any kind of compensation, or have their rights observed, after their rights were abused? Thirteen years being in prison speaks for itself.

O’Keefe: Yeah, there is really not much hope that they are going to receive any kind of decency or justice, that’s for sure. Of course, nothing can erase their lost years. I mean thirteen years without charge is a massive form of torture. I think most people only need a little bit of imagination to understand just how horrendous it would be to… especially if you are innocent, and, in truth, actually every one of them is innocent as far as I’m concerned; unless any one of them could specifically be accused of carrying out a crime outside of Afghanistan, then they are innocent because anything and everything that can be done to resist an invasion and occupation is justifiable, and I know damn well, as any honest American or British citizen would acknowledge, if it were reversed and somebody was invading our countries from halfway around the world, we would use every weapon and every means to defend ourselves and kill every last invader we could.

So they never should have been there in the first place, the whole pretext of invading Afghanistan was a lie because Osama bin Laden was never even charged with a crime related to 9/11. The FBI acknowledged there was no credible evidence. So how could any of these other people be involved as well? I mean what did they do? Not even Osama bin Laden was charged, much less this goat herders and other people that they arrested.

So I don’t see how they are going to get any kind of justice, I certainly encourage them to stand up for their rights, and do everything they can, but I can’t imagine the United States acting with an ounce of decency. They never do so.

Press TV: There are still dozens left inside that prison who were held without charge and they are not given a right to a free trial, you would think that, with the promise of closing down the prison, which Obama didn’t abide by as one of his campaign promises, at least they would be given a decent trial. Why do you think the US is preventing that from happenning?

O’Keefe: Well, I think the main reason why is that the United States, its role in the world, is that of an enforcer, and they basically enforce the policies around the world of the powers that be and I would say ‘the powers that be’ are those in control of financial supply.

So, the United States is going to carry on that role for the foreseeable future, it enjoys the favor of the most powerful individuals on the planet. There is no punishment for the United States in terms of breaking international law, it has broken just about any international law that exists, and there has been no consequence.

So as long as we live in a world of impunity, where Israel, America, and Britain as well and other countries are allowed to break international law without any, any consequence whatsoever, all we are doing is encouraging an acceleration and continuation of that process and really, in the nuclear age, we can’t do this forever.

So unless we as people demand that international law be adhered to, for instance Saudi Arabia should be charged right now with invading and bombing a country, in Yemen. This is an international act of aggression; it is the supreme crime if we go back to the Nuremberg principles.

Still at this point, we as human beings have not compelled that the nations of the world be actually held to account for violations of international law and long as we operate under the law of the jungle as we have been, these types of things are going to continue.

MTM/HJL

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