The Gitmo Problem

By BJ

Whatever it's dubious benefits are as a prison camp, Guantanamo Bay is a stain on the America's reputation internationally, and it appears that the stain is also now affecting it's commanders.

When the Pentagon announced in March that Maj. Gen. Jay W. Hood would become the senior American officer based in Pakistan, it reflected the military’s aim to put a crisis-tested veteran in a critical job at a pivotal time in the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan’s tribal areas.

But nearly two months later, the military has quietly canceled the assignment of General Hood, a 33-year Army veteran who was excoriated in the Pakistani news media for one of his previous jobs: commander of the United States prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

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The decision to withdraw General Hood’s assignment has not been announced, but it appears to reflect the widening shadow that the military prison at Guantánamo is casting over American foreign policy. While the United States considers Pakistan a close ally in its counterterrorism efforts, the accounts by Pakistanis who have returned to Pakistan after being held at Guantánamo Bay have added to anti-American sentiment in the country.

Several leading Pakistani military and foreign affairs commentators denounced General Hood’s selection in recent weeks, calling on their new government to block his appointment. In interviews this week, American military officials said they had reluctantly concluded that General Hood’s effectiveness could be seriously hindered, and that his personal safety might even be at risk if he were to take up the post.

The article states that General Hood is credited with improving overall conditions for the prisoners being held there, but it is clear that the reputation of Guantanamo is past the point where it can be repaired. The only real solution is to shut the prison down. Otherwise you can watch as it continues to drag America's reputation, and the reputation of those who serve her, on an ever downward spiral.