Guantanamo Bay prison commander fired under 'highly suspicious' circumstances as detainees face medical crisis

A commander overseeing the prison for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay has been abruptly fired, reigniting questions about human rights abuses within the facility.

Rear Admiral John Ring’s top-level departure came shortly after he spoke out about medical conditions and other challenges the prison’s ageing detainee population faces nearly a decade after former president Barack Obama ordered the camp closed.

US Southern Command, which oversees the prison, disputed suggestions the official was removed from his post – just a few weeks before he was scheduled to end his tour of duty – due to comments he made earlier in the month to the media. A spokesperson for the military command instead said the decision was made after a month-long investigation confirmed a loss of confidence in his ability to lead.

Experts describe the controversial, secretive prison, established in the aftermath of 9/11 by George W Bush as part of his so-called war on terror, as a lawless space in violation of human rights, where acts of torture remain a prevalent issue.

J Wells Dixon, a senior staff attorney at the Centre for Constitutional Rights who has represented Guantanamo detainees, described the timing of the commander’s termination as highly suspicious in an interview with The Independent.

“It’s hard for me to think of a reason for Admiral Ring’s termination. The only possibility that comes to mind is the fact that Admiral Ring spoke out recently to the media about the need for increased medical care for the elderly detainee population,” Mr Dixon said. “It’s possible that he was fired because his comments were too honest and too direct. His comments run counter to the narrative that people who remain at Guantanamo are the so-called ‘worst of the worst’. That’s just not the case.”

Rear Admiral Ring, whose deputy Brigade Gen John Hussey is now serving as the acting commander of the prison, was personally informed of his dismissal and will be temporarily assigned duties elsewhere within the Southern Command, according to a statement from Colonel Amanda Abuike, who confirmed the firing on Sunday to the New York Times.

“The vast majority of commanders complete their assigned tours with distinction,” the colonel said. “When they fall short, we hold our leaders accountable, which reflects the importance we place on the public’s trust and confidence in our military leaders.”

The commander followed in former White House chief of staff John Kelly’s footsteps in calls for a modernised prison at Guantanamo Bay, after taking charge of the facility in April 2018.

He took those calls a step further over the weekend when expressing a level of frustration over obstacles in providing medical care to some of the prison’s 40 detainees. The military has been asked to draw out plans to keep the prison operating for at least another 25 years after Congress rejected the former administration’s attempts to have it shut down.

“Unless America’s policy changes, at some point we’ll be doing some sort of end of life care here,” the commander said, according to the Times. “A lot of my guys are pre-diabetic … Am I going to need dialysis down here? I don’t know. Someone’s got to tell me that. Are we going to do complex cancer care down here? I don’t know. Someone’s got to tell me that.”

As the prisoners continue ageing, it is likely they will require extensive care due to their histories and experiences with torture, officials said.

“You know, a lot of these folks had hard lives before they came here to Guantanamo Bay,” a senior medical officer told the newspaper. “We are starting to see the use of canes and walkers and braces and so forth.”

Detainees held at the prison are not allowed to enter the US for medical care, forcing specialists to travel to the site to deal with issues like high blood pressure, sleep apnea, joint pain and other conditions. Requests for additional funding to modernize the facilities have been rejected by the Department of Defence.

“Some of the men who remain have been approved for transfer for many, many years. Most of them are not charged with any sort of offence, and they’re old and they’re ailing,” Mr Dixon said on Monday. “Guantanamo is beneficial to no one but war profiteers and those who grow fat on government dime.”

With nearly 1,500 troops and other staff members assigned to the prison, there are roughly 45 people per detainee in Guantanamo, while the US government spends more than $10m (£7.7m) per year for each detainee, according to Mr Dixon.

An independent human rights investigator at the United Nations warned in 2017 he had received information that an inmate held at Guantanamo was still being tortured after the US banned “enhanced interrogation techniques” under the former administration.

The torture and ill-treatment of Ammar al-Baluchi, who was accused of being a co-conspirator in the attacks of September 11, 2001, were reported to continue, according to a statement from the UN’s human rights office.

“In addition to the long-term effects of past torture, noise and vibrations are reportedly still being used against him, resulting in constant sleep deprivation and related physical and mental disorders, for which he allegedly does not receive adequate medical attention,” Nils Melzer, the UN’s special rapporteur on torture, said in a statement.

The Pentagon denied the allegations at the time, saying no credible evidence had been found to substantiate the claims.

Officials have also warned detainees previously held in CIA “black sites” – where extreme forms of torture have been reported – could experience additional medical challenges in the years to come.

Still, experts like Mr Dixon say a decline in detainees’ health does not mean the prison should receive additional funding for renovation efforts. Rather, it should be dismantled altogether.

“Guantanamo should not be modernised, Guantanamo should be closed,” he said. “We poured maybe about half a billion dollars into Guantanamo, and we have almost nothing to show for it.

“We shouldn’t double down and commit additional resources to what everyone recognises is a failing operation.”