I just wanted to write a reply to the article ("Prisoners of War or Prisoners of a Technicality?" Feb. 11) regarding the situation of al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners in Cuba. The fact that anybody feels these people should be granted a single right is beyond me. I could write 20 pages right now on this subject, I'm so angry after reading this article, but I think that one point stands apart and needs to be the only one talked about.
That point is the fact that these prisoners are terrorists. This is a far cry from someone called to arms by the country that they are living in and going to fight soldiers from another nation. The Taliban was not the popularly elected and legitimate government of the country, so the United States did not go to fight against Afghanistan. We went out of our way not to hit the citizens of Afghanistan. We went in to fight terrorists and those who harbor them.
The al Qaeda did fight soldiers from the United States in the instance of their capture, but would have had no trouble taking part in a suicide attack on innocent civilians. They came to Afghanistan and fought because of a personal decision, one that is far different from deciding to fight in a war for one's country. They are part of a terrorist organization that is currently being uprooted in any way possible. There is no reason to even treat these people as well as they are being treated. I cannot stress enough that these people kill civilians with terrorism. This slime gave up any human right they had long ago.
