[Ppnews] “Little Guantanamo”–Secretive ‘CMU’ Prisons

[Political Prisoner News]

“Little Guantanamo”–Secretive ‘CMU’ Prisons 
Designed to Restrict Communication of Jailed 
Muslims and Activists With Outside World



Watch the video here:
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/17/little_guantanamo_secretive_cmu_prisons_designed

4/17/2009

With little public scrutiny, the Bush 
administration opened two secretive prisons in 
Indiana and Illinois known as Communication 
Management Units–or CMUs–that are designed to 
severely restrict prisoner communication with 
family members, the media and the outside world. 
Dozens of Muslim men are still being held at the 
CMUs as well as other prisoners including 
environmental and animal rights activists. We 
speak with attorneys for two men being held there 
as well as a reporter covering the story.

While President Obama has pledged to close 
Guantanamo Bay and the secret overseas CIA 
prisons, calls are increasing for him to 
re-examine the treatment of prisoners detained as 
part of the so-called war on terror being held inside the United States.

With little public scrutiny, the Bush 
administration opened two secretive prisons in 
Indiana and Illinois known as Communication 
Management Units–or CMUs–that are designed to 
severely restrict prisoner communication with 
family members, the media and the outside world. 
Dozens of Muslim men are still being held at the 
CMUs as well as other prisoners including 
environmental and animal rights activists.

The government has provided little information 
about the special prison units. A search on the 
Bureau of Prisons website yields just one 
document even mentioning the program. Only a 
handful of news articles have covered what has 
been described as a Little Guantanamo by some of the prisoners.

The first CMU was opened in 2006 in a special, 
isolated wing of the federal prison in Terre 
Haute, Indiana. A second CMU was opened last year in Marion, Illinois.

Prisoners held inside the special unit include 
Dr. Rafil Dhafir, the Iraqi-born doctor from 
upstate New York who is serving a 22-year 
sentence for violating the Iraqi sanctions by 
sending aid to Iraq through his charity Help the 
Needy; Yassin Aref, the Kurdish-born imam from 
Albany New York, who was convicted in a 
controversial FBI sting operation;a nd the 
environmental activist Daniel McGowan, who is 
serving a seven-year sentence for his role in two acts of arson.
Some critics have suggested that McGowan and 
other non-Muslim prisoners are being held in the 
CMU because the federal government wants to avoid 
accusations that the CMUs are designed to only hold Muslim men.

The Bureau of Prisons declined our invitation to 
join us today. But in a written statement, a BOP 
spokesperson said, “Race and religion play no 
factor in an offender’s designation to this unit. 
It’s solely based on their need for increased 
monitoring of their communications.”

We are joined now in Washington DC by Will 
Potter, he is a freelance reporter and the editor 
of the website GreenIsTheNewRed.com. Earlier this 
week he published an article titled “Secretive 
U.S. Prison Units Used to House Muslim, Animal 
Rights and Environmental Activists.”

Will Potter, freelance reporter who focuses on 
how the war on terrorism affects civil liberties. 
He runs the blog GreenIsTheNewRed.com.

Lauren Regan, attorney for Daniel McGowan and 
executive director of the Civil Liberties Defense Center.

Kathy Manley, attorney for Yassin Aref.




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415 863-9977

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