In Gitmo

Issue of 2005-07-11
Posted 2005-07-06

This week in the magazine, Jane Mayer writes about the United States military detention center in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and raises new questions about the treatment of detainees. Here, with Amy Davidson, Mayer talks about interrogation and the war on terror.

AMY DAVIDSON: You visited the detention center at Guantánamo Bay. What was your impression of the place? What did, and didn’t, you get to see?

JANE MAYER: I was surprised by how much the Department of Defense let me see. They clearly are waging a tough public-relations battle to try to improve Guantánamo's image in the world, and to do so they have apparently decided that they need to get better press coverage. The soldiers and officers I met there seemed very dedicated and committed to the mission, and they seemed at least publicly convinced that most of the detainees would present a serious threat to U.S. security if they had the chance to get out.