Porter tours Guantanamo Bay, says guards fighting terrorism

Suzanne Struglinski

Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2005 | 11:11 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. prison guards in Guantanamo Bay are helping the war on terrorism, Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., said after visiting the prison in Cuba.

Porter traveled to the island Monday with Government Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., and three other House members to tour the prison where U.S. troops are guarding people suspected of being involved with terrorism.

"My wish would be that we didn't have to have it, but it is important for national security and fighting international terrorism," Porter said. "We have set a standard for taking care of detainees."

During the day-long trip, Porter toured medical facility and holding areas, know as "camps." The lawmakers had a briefing from Brig. Gen. Jay Hood, who is in charge of the prison.

Porter said he was not able to go into actual cell areas for security reasons.

Porter said he was told that "a number of prisoners throw bodily fluids at guards and have threatened them. These are some of the worst of the worst."

Based on his conversations with guards there, Porter said the "consistent message was that morale had been impacted by a lot of the stories" regarding criticism of the prison and treatment of prisoners.

In June on the Senate floor, Sen. Richard Dubrin, D-Ill., compared the alleged mistreatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay to the tactics of Nazis and the practices in the Soviet gulags. He later apologized for the remark.

Porter said he met guards who said they were doing their jobs and obeying rules required to treating the prisoners.

"There was one young military woman, a security guard, one of the prisoners threw bodily fluid on her. They took her right to the medical center but once she was done, to tell you of the strength of these people, she went right back to work."

He said he also was allowed to view two interrogations via video and spoke with some of the interrogators afterward. He wanted to know "what is in the hearts and minds of the terrorists."

Porter said the interrogators told him that many have philosophical differences with Americans. They are threatened by the culture and lifestyle, Porter said. Some have told them they would kill an American once released from the camp, Porter said.