Out of Gitmo

After 9/11, the U.S. base nicknamed “Gitmo” located in Cuba's Guantanamo Bay became a holding pen for suspected terrorists. Situated out of the reach of U.S. law, Gitmo has held many prisoners for years without charges (alleged 9/11 mastermind Khaled Sheikh Mohammed has still not been tried). Filmmaker James Jacoby's PBS-aired Frontline documentary, hosted by Arun Rath, explores the wide-ranging dilemmas posed by Gitmo. Before leaving office, President Obama vowed to empty the compound of most detainees, while President Trump says he wants to load up the place with "bad dudes." Many of those released went to Arab countries, and a few returned to the battlefield to resume jihad against nonbelievers. Rath concentrates on one released prisoner named Mansoor, who was sent to Serbia despite having no ties to the region, and in patent ignorance of the fact that Serbia was plagued by bloody ethnic cleansing waged by Serbians against Muslims in the 1990s. Mansoor comes across as mild-mannered and a bit confused; mostly confined to his small apartment under constant surveillance, with no family or friends, Mansoor is clearly unhappy, and he protests with a hunger strike. Traveling to Serbia, Rath tries to secure better treatment or at least get some answers for Mansoor, who says he only wants to resume a normal life—perhaps marrying and starting a family—but instead he's caught in the maze of a "forever prison." The documentary includes a short film on the history of Gitmo, notably a period in the 1990s when Haitian refugees were barred from entering the U.S., and some who were found to be HIV positive were caught up in a bureaucratic trap (after pressure from civil rights lawyers, most were eventually allowed to enter the United States). A solid documentary about a continuing human rights issue, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)