CAGE
| Parroting squawkbox Pundits |
|
| And a dirty dozen more |
CAGE (formerly Cageprisoners) is a human rights organization based in London, emphasizing the rights of Guantanamo Bay prisoners. Its director is Moazzam Begg, himself a former Gitmo detainee, and it has ties to suspicious Islamist nuts. Remember, kids: just because someone claims to have had his human rights violated doesn't mean he's a nice person. Suspected terrorists, prisoners, those with unpopular opinions or unusual lifestyles, and others on the fringes of society have human rights too.[1][2]
CAGE has ties to Amnesty International. Gita Sahgal, head of Amnesty's gender unit, criticized the organisation for teaming up with Begg: "To be appearing on platforms with Britain's most famous supporter of the Taliban, whom we treat as a human rights defender, is a gross error of judgment", she said. Amnesty International, appalled at the notion that support for the Taliban is in any way unacceptable for human rights advocates, promptly suspended her.[3]
One of the more peculiar pages on the CAGE website is an article dated 15 May 2021 entitled "Breaking News: Barack Obama Dead". The article is a fictional account of "American War Criminal Barack Obama" being killed in circumstances similar to Osama bin Laden, complete with a photoshopped picture of Obama's bloody body based on the fake photo of Osama that circulated after his death; it concludes that "All events are purely fictional – but you knew that already, didn’t you?"[4]
Begg and CAGE have campaigned for the release of Shaker Aamer, Guantanamo's one remaining British detainee.[5][6] A U.S. Department of Defense memorandum released by Wikileaks reveals that Begg spoke out against Aamer while detained, identifying him as an al-Qaeda recruiter who fought under Abu Zubayr al-Haili, a senior figure in the terrorist organisation.[6]
External links[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Countering Terrorism, Liberty
- ↑ Why do human rights apply to convicted criminals?, James Welch, The Guardian, 14 Sep 2009
- ↑ Amnesty chief suspended after attacking group's links to 'Britain's most famous Taliban supporter' (12:51 EDT, 9 February 2010) The Daily Mail.
- ↑ Breaking News: Barack Obama Is Dead by Fahad Ansari (Monday, 09 May 2011) Cageprisoners (archived from May 12, 2011).
- ↑ A decade of injustice — UK (14 September 2012) Cageprisoners.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Guantanamo and Its Critics: Some regard the camp as so immoral that detainees must not only be innocent, but uniquely good. by Robin Simcox (Jan. 18, 2012 6:55 p.m. ET) The Wall Street Journal.