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May 24, 2013

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: When I didn't so 'humbly disagree'

Caroline B. Glick: Thank you, Hafez al-Assad

Diana West: From the Brooklyn Bridge to London
Morgan Housel: Why spotting bubbles is so much harder than you think

Environmental Nutrition editors: NuVal labeling to the rescue?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Memorial Day: Jews Serving and KIA in War on Terror; Liberace Bio-Pic; Jew Wins "Survivor"; Shalom, Dr. Brothers; More

The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: HIDE THESE FROZEN TREATS FROM THE KIDDIES!: Sangria pops; Irish cream pudding pops; mango Lassi pops

May 22, 2013

John Thorne: They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman

John Rosemond: 'Disciplinary math' adds up to parental successl

Warren Richey: Are prayers before public meetings OK? Supreme Court to decide
Rick Montgomery: Use of ADHD drugs as study aid raises concern on campuses

Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 convincing reasons you should keep carbs in your diet

Eoin O'Carroll: Scientists examine nothing, find something

The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: This soup is made from one of the great pleasures of spring: A wonderful pairing of rosy color and earthy tang

May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting

May 13, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation

David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church

Emily Alpert: Recession dragged down birth rates for less-educated women
Morgan Housel: The deep downside of home ownership

Peter Teffer: Will Dutch police soon be stalking cybercriminals on your computer?

Heidi McIndoo, M.S., R.D.: Meatless 'meat' can have its own set of problems

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate! This must-try appetizer is delicate yet has depth of flavor: Corn-Leek Cakes with Caviar, Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche

May 10, 2013

Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be

Caroline B. Glick: The dirty little secret about Israel's Arabs

Mona Charen: Hawking's Moral Calculus: The man and the movement he embraces
Morgan Housel: The biggest retirement myth ever told

Sandi Doughton: Eyes may provide new insight into brain problems

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : The Great Gatsby's Jewish Ties; Jews in the "Time 100 list" List; People's Most Beautiful Women

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: A sweet-hot meal: Pear salsa spices up salmon

May 8, 2013

Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas

Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate

Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
Amanda Paulson: Study reveals sad truths about community colleges

Harvard Health Letters: Evidence weak that zinc, echinacea are beneficial

The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility

May 6, 2013

Edmund Sanders and Patrick J. McDonnell: Think Israel's objective in Syria is to weaken Assad or embolden the rebels? Think again

Brian Bennett: Israeli airstrikes may show weakness in Syrian defense

Michael Ollove: Millions of ex-felons, parolees and those on probation are about to be entitled to tax-payer paid health coverage
Karen Kaplan: Most men can skip PSA test for prostate cancer, urologists say

Kimberly Lankford: How to track down a lost life insurance policy

Dream of Mars exploration achievable, experts say

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan M. Selasky: EGGPLANT WRAPS are an easy, sumptuous and scrumptious meal

May 3, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Human Courage and the Unavoidable, Disturbing Text

Steven Emerson: Attorney General Fights CAIR in Court, Lauds it in Public

Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia: study
Harvard Health Letters: When to be screened for a hearing problem

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Iron Man's Jewish Connections; Marc Maron's New TV Show; Martin Landau Grows Up with Israel; Shalom, Allan Arbus

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: A sweet surprise for Mother's Day dessert

May 1, 2013

Jonathan Rosenblum: An Improbable Journey to Orthodoxy

Jonathan Tobin: Blame Obama, Not Israel for Syria Push

Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Halena M. Gazelka, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: What you need to know about implanted pain relief devices

Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine

Jessica Shugart: When it comes to math, MRIs may be better than IQs

The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: The celebrated chef on how high-maintenance ASPARAGUS RISOTTO need not be

April 29, 2013

Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust

Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?

Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Morgan Housel: He's rich, smart and old: Listen to him

Thomas Salinas, D.D.S.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: The safety of amalgam fillings

Harvard Health Letters: Tomatoes and stroke protection

Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Swing into spring with lemon cream pie

April 26, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The world is a mirror

Caroline B. Glick: Time to confront Obama

Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Kimberly Lankford: New strategies ease pain of paying for long-term care insurance

Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Too much ibuprofen?

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Major Leaguers, 2013; New Movies and Comedy Show; Shalom, 'Lumpy' (Leave it to Beaver)

The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : A bright and cheerful salad to herald the warmer months ahead

April 24, 2013

Steven Emerson: Boston Bomber Exposes Islamist Secret

Morgan Housel Admit it: No one has any idea what's going on
Harvard Health Letters: Can you get headaches from headache medication?

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to easily get more Omega-3s in your diet

Melissa Healy: Pot in a pill: All the pain relief without the smoke

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan Russo: Chipotle Chili Butternut Squash Soup is bold, zesty, hot

April 22, 2013

Ken Dilanian: Counterterrorism's future is unclear

US man departing country arrested on terror charges
Barbara Williams: An unorthodox but growing treatment in a 9-year-old's battle against cancer

P.J. Skerrett, M.D.: How to recognize a good whole grain product

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Teen actor Jonah Bobo in New Flick: Hunky James Wolk on Mad Men; Erich Segal's Daughter Writes Prize-Winning Jewish Novel


Jewish World Review Nov. 7, 2006 / 16 Mar-Cheshvan, 5767

A trip to Guantanamo

By Cal Thomas


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA — The position of the European left and liberal Democrats on the detention center for suspected terrorists captured on the battlefield has been this: American troops are torturing people on U.S. territory and denying them their civil and human rights. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill) said so in a Senate floor speech on June 14, 2005: "If I … did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime — Pol Pot or others — that had no concern for human beings. Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their prisoners."


I decided to visit the infamous "torture center" to see for myself. Unlike some critics, I began with the premise that my fellow countrymen and women are honorable people who care about their nation and are willing to do whatever it takes within our laws to protect us from killers. Call me duped, but having served in the Army and having many relatives in service, this has been my personal experience and observation over many years.


The "camps" at Guantanamo resemble American prisons. At least two are modeled after prisons in Indiana and Michigan. The guards are intelligent, respectful and professional. U.S. policy offers the detainees more rights than could be expected for any American captured in Iraq. They get religiously approved food — up to 4,200 calories per day. I ate one of their lunches, consisting of chicken, noodles, green beans, apple juice, bread and baklava. Arrows on their beds point toward Mecca and they are given undisturbed time to pray.


An interrogation room has a comfortable couch and chair, a table, rug and teapot. Rear Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of the Joint Task Force, says interrogators live up to the letter and spirit of the Geneva Conventions and abide by the latest Army Field Manual. Detainees are not questioned after 10 p.m. or before 6 a.m.


Guards are exposed to significant threats and long-term risks. Many of the detainees threaten to kill the guards and their families should they get out, or be given the chance to communicate with their associates on the outside. Guards cover up their names, but Admiral Harris says the detainees have ways of learning them through our legal system. The detainees are not nice guys and none has been converted to the American point of view by being treated humanely. Yet, Admiral Harris says, "Not a single case of torture or inhumane treatment has ever been substantiated. We are the most transparent detention facility in the world."


Statements by some of the detainees convey the threat we face: "We thank the creator for the fall of the infidels' Trade Towers." "The coterie of dogs started to tumble down burning in black fire and the smoke went up saying, 'victory to Islam.'" "The terrorists are innocent because they are Jihadists." "Suicide is illegal according to the Koran, but if your hunger strike is to get the release of your brothers and make your enemies suffer, then if you die, you die a martyr."


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One wants to write a book "How to Kill a Man in Three Seconds." Another, who has assaulted a GTMO guard on numerous occasions (with makeshift weapons, human waste, semen and vomit), stated he can either go back home and kill as many Americans as possible, or he can leave here in a box; either way it's the same to him.


This detention center is costing American taxpayers plenty. According to the Department of Defense, Camp 6, the latest to open, cost $37 million. The behavioral health unit cost $2.65 million to build, equip and staff. It costs $2.6 million a year to feed the current population of approximately 430. Cells are clean and detainees receive "comfort items," including a Koran in Arabic or their native language, prayer beads, toothpaste and brush, a razor that cannot be used as a weapon and toilet and shower facilities. Every detainee has access to the library, which contains more than 3,000 books in their native language.


Medical facilities equal those of a military hospital. Specialists are flown in regularly to deal with individual needs.


"At least 20, maybe as many as 40, who have been released have rejoined the battle," says Admiral Harris, including one with a prosthetic leg paid for by the American taxpayer.


Brigadier General Thomas Hemingway, legal adviser to the Appointing Authority, Office of Military Commissions, tells me, "No trials are anticipated before 2007. There is a question as to what the federal courts will do. For the first time in our history we are contemplating trials while a war is going on."


Americans should be proud of those who serve their country by protecting us from these really bad men. They live up to their slogan, which is posted on a sign at the camp entrance: "Honor Bound to Defend Freedom." They defend our freedom and their honor.

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JWR contributor Cal Thomas is the author of, among others, The Wit and Wisdom of Cal Thomas Comment by clicking here.


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