The time for silence, and the time for secrecy are over. To clear the
air, and to draw a line under this most lamentable period in our recent
history, we need an inquiry presided over by someone who is able to
"balance the need for national security against the need for
transparency." For too long now -- and with baleful results -- the need
for national security has been allowed to override everything else,
inflicting grave damage on our claims to be a civilized country, and
leading to devastating effects for those caught up in a "War on Terror"
with few checks and balances.
Note: To see the released documents in full, please visit the website of Reprieve, the London-based legal action charity whose lawyers represent dozens of current and former Guantánamo prisoners. The documents have also been made available by the Guardian. Please also note that, as well as Martin Mubanga and Omar Deghayes, the former prisoners involved in the civil claim are Binyam Mohamed, Bisher al-Rawi, Jamil El-Banna and Richard Belmar.
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