Gitmo Nurse Speaks About Gitmo Detainees

Patterico via Powerline has a great set of posts up about an Army Major "Stashiu" who was a nurse at Gitmo. Stashiu is not his real name. He has had death threats and is trying to lower his profile a little.

The first post (linked above) is about Stashiu's bondafides and why he won't talk to the media.

So why did Stashiu agree to speak with me? After all, hadn’t journalists visited Guantánamo? He told me that, of course, they had. So I asked him: why not give his story to Big Media? He said:

I don’t trust them to factually report anything I say. I’ve read you and trust you.

The suspicion of Big Media is, unfortunately, all too common nowadays.

Stashiu explained that he is not writing a book or looking to hit the talk show circuit, and he reiterated in forceful terms his disdain for Big Media.

In an update at the bottom of the first post Patterico says:

UPDATE x2: Stashiu tells me he has been contacted by a member of the media. He has not responded and does not intend to respond. He has asked me to update the post and request the media not to contact him further, as he does not intend to speak to the media.

For a plain statement that is pretty vicious.

In Part Two Stashiu details his extensive talks with inmates (it was part of his job as a psychological services nurse.

Many (probably most) speak at least some English, some are quite fluent. Some learned in Cuba from other detainees or from talking with guards and translators. Almost without exception though, they will ask for an interpreter at some point. Sometimes it is to try and pry information from the interpreter. Other times it is to avoid answering an uncomfortable question, for whatever reason. Plus, any time they go through an interpreter, they can claim that they were misunderstood due to faulty translation. The concept of reasonable doubt does not hold much sway for them, people are believed or disbelieved more for the relationship between the two people more than any affection for the truth.

Which points up the esentially Tribalist nature of our enemies.

Patterico asks Stashiu "what are the detainees like?"

For many of them, think Ted Bundy. Educated, charming, and without conscience for those they consider infidels. Some are truly ill and were taken advantage of because of it. For example, one routinely asked us for an explosive suicide vest so he could assassinate Osama Bin Laden or George Bush for us, whoever he could find first (he was completely serious).

Not what you would consider first rate army material.

Which brings up an interesting aside. The Power Line guys are reporting that the Iraqi insurgents are having trouble recruiting.

Know that we, like all the mujahidin, are still weak. We are in the stage of weakness and a state of paucity. We have not yet reached a level of stability. We have no alternative but to not squander any element of the foundations of strength, or any helper or supporter.

So they have to take whatever help they can get. That is not a sign of an orgaization on the way up. It is a sign of an organization in decline.

Patterico then goes on to tell us a bit about human nature Stashiu discussed:

But, he explained, it was nevertheless his job to get detainees to open up and share their thoughts, simply for their psychological health. Stashiu did that in many ways, one of which was to appear to disclose things about himself. If you appear to share things about yourself, he told me, the human inclination is to reciprocate. This is something he was taught when he learned about human psychology, and it works.

Just ask any good sales person. We love to dish.

Patterico then asked Stashiu how the detainees think the war is going. (The long view is very evident).

In my opinion, most of them are sincere in their belief they will win for the following reasons:

a. They are told they are assured of victory by their religion. They are raised with the belief that Islam is destined to become the dominant way of life for this planet. No matter how long it takes, it is inevitable. Once Islam is supreme, there will be no war, crime, poverty, or need. These are frequent talking points every Friday in the mosques.

b. Their leaders consistently stress that jihad is working and our culture is a hollow shell. They point to VietNam, Somalia, 9/11, Madrid (both the bombings and the elections immediately following), and the anti-war propagandists here in the United States. . . . The jihadists are constantly told that America is weak-willed and will turn and run if they can be inflicted with enough damage and peace can be delayed long enough.

c. They believe they are more committed to victory at any cost because it is all in God’s name and is the Will of God. They point to our efforts at minimizing both our own casualties and those of civilians. You never see them worry about collateral damage and destroying infrastructure. They see our compassion as weakness and our integrity as blindness to reality.

Another example of tribalist values. The other has no value.

The answer to that of course is that "we are all Gods children". The antithesis of tribalism. If you haven't read about the Tribalist values follow the link above and read it because I show how the "we are all Gods children" Judeo/Christian ethos leads to civilization and how tribalism leads to barbarity.

There is much more plus Parts III, IV, and V. All linked in Part One. Read it all.