Commander of Guantanamo Bay Visits Savannah

It's one of the military's most controversial prisons, Guantanamo Bay.

It allegedly holds the perpetrators of 9-11 and the USS Cole bombing, men the US Government feels are capable of heinous crimes. But some human rights organizations say many of the men are being held there unjustly. 

Tonight News Three's Military Reporter Alice Massimi was there as the Commander of Guantanamo Bay spoke with the Savannah Navy League.

 “I think we all would eventually like to see the reason for Guantanamo to go away. It would be wonderful if we did not have to detain these people but the fact of the matter is the Global War on Terror goes on,” states Rear Admiral Mark Buzby.

Buzby says he knows how many people perceive Guantanamo, how could he not.           Throughout the years the prison has faced accusations over illegal torture, horrible living conditions and wrongful detainment, making the news around the world. 

“Most of what they have read and what has been reported is probably not exactly true, there are elements of truth in a lot of what is reported but Guantanamo has been painted very negatively,” he explains.

Buzby says he walks the prison once a week, putting “eyeballs” on every single detainee, “We are closely governed by what we can and can't do down there. We follow the army interrogation field manual to the letter.”

A difficult and volatile task Buzby says he gives the credit to guards who deal with the detainees on a daily basis.

“They are literally inches away from dangerous people who have demonstrated a propensity for violence. Who on a daily basis will attempt to bite the guards, spit on them, throw cocktails made of feces and urine at them in their face.”

Buzby says this group of committed jihadists needs to be kept somewhere, “If we were to turn them back out I think that would be very dangerous for everyone,” for our service members on the battlefield and for the world.

Buzby adds that suspected terrorist continue to come to Guantanamo. Since he took command last May there have been six new detainees. They have all come from East Africa where he says Al Qaeda is branching out.

One of the complaints many human rights groups have is that many of the men have yet to be charged with anything, some of whom have been there for years.

Buzby says this spring we can expect to see a lot of charges formally filed.