The USA released one of the terrorists or in official words a “high-value detainee” from Guantanamo bay detention centre. The man is named Majid Khan and is first one of such detainees. The man who has spent nearly half of his life in a US prison, and who is a Pakistani is not released to either of the two nations. He has been given to Belize, a small Caribbean island. Belize has several issues of its own, but the USA has proudly decided that this nation will be a perfect fit for a terrorist.
Breaking Down Antony Blinken Lies
Announcing his administration’s success, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted “Belize’s decision to humanely resettle Majid Khan supports our efforts to responsibly close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center.” Now, this one sentence has three lies. Let’s break it down one by one.
Belize’s decision to humanely resettle Majid Khan supports our efforts to responsibly close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. In accepting him, the people of Belize have again demonstrated the openness and partnership for which they are known. https://t.co/e6YwbyJoFY
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 5, 2023
Belize’s Decision
All the top officials of USA went gaga in praising Belize for taking their prisoner. They kept repeating the words that it is Belize’s decision. However, it is not.
Currently, Belize’s debt is 150 percent of its GDP. As shown in the graph below, the National debt of Belize, in relation to gross domestic product for 2023, is predicted at 73.05 percent. Also, the debt situation is such that Belize has accepted IMF’s proposal of debt-for-nature swaps.
Such a debt-ridden nation can never make an independent decision. The idea that the USA may have offered some relief to Belize in return for taking their prisoner is not surprising.
Read More: Belize was fooled monetarily decades ago and now, it is entrapped entirely
Humanely Resettle Majid Khan
Reading this line, sets my belief in stone that ‘Fooling is an art and the USA has mastered it.’ Here, let’s first talk about USA’ obsession with human rights. USA for decades perfectly played the role of a torch-bearer of human rights. Though, Haiti, Syria, Iraq sing other stories of the great human right protector.
Ironically enough, it looks like the White House also has forgotten about the CIA’s so-called black sites, one of which is the said Guantanamo Bay Detention Centre, where countless human rights are violated every second.
Even Khan, according to a Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIA’s detention and interrogation program, was subjected to sleep deprivation, an ice water bath, and forced rectal feeding and rehydration. In the report, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee called the treatment torture.
Irony also dies a slow death when federal law in the USA prohibit any detainee of Guantanamo Bay to be resettled in the USA itself. Basically, the White House is saying that these detainees are dangerous for USA but can be assets for any other nations. Bravo! USA.
Then the question comes, how a terrorist like Khan can be “humanely” resettled. Khan was a member of Al Qaeda and became a direct subordinate to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the principal architect of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Khan was involved in several terrorist activities including a deadly attack on the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Such a man promised Belize that “he will be a productive, law-abiding member of society.” And, USA wants the Belizean population to believe his words! The cherry on top of all this is that the man will also be given pension. This obviously will come from the pockets of US taxpayers. At the same time he will be given medical and security support by the Belizean government.
The Biden administration tried fooling approximately a dozen nations in an effort to make them take Khan in and finally found Belize. Blinken deserves an applause for pulling this deal off!
To Responsibly Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center
Coming now to the most interesting lie of the Blinken statement. Closing of the said detention centre is not like taking a walk in the park. Has Blinken forgotten when President Barack Obama promised to shut down the detention centre? The former president’s plans were hindered by political forces. Trump, on the other hand, pledged during his first campaign to “load it up with some bad dudes.” To be honest, it will be a challenge to close the bay as it was created beyond the scope of the law, making it nearly impossible to bring it back under the law.
Ultimately, no one has been able to close Guantánamo. Same goes for President Biden. Since he took office, he talked many times about closing the centre, though, he still hasn’t taken any substantial step towards the same. The continuous inaction of the President makes such statements of Blinken mere words. Blinken should have chosen his battles and words carefully. For now, what is done is done.
Read More: The dalliance of US- Belize to end with Venezuela coming in the picture
The USA has successfully trapped an already suffering nation into its web. Belize ultimately has to bear the consequences of bowing down to the diktats of Washington. It will be a challenge for Belize to keep such vicious terrorist. There are high chances that his group members will contact him. The nation has no history of terrorism but this step could bring the curse to it and,in turn, to the whole Caribbean nation.
