Pentagon Chief Says Guantanamo Detainees Should Have Been Executed Long Ago 0 14

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegset visited the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, after which he made a loud statement about the fate of the detainees held there.

Speaking to reporters in Tampa, Florida, the Pentagon chief stated that, in his personal opinion, most Guantanamo detainees should have long ago faced trial and received the death penalty.

"I believe that the Guantanamo detainees should have been executed many years ago for crimes against the American people," Hegset said.

The minister reminded that he himself served as a guard at the Guantanamo prison in 2004–2005. This facility was created after the September 11, 2001 attacks to hold suspected terrorists.

According to Hegset, the trials have dragged on for decades due to problems in the American justice system.

"The mechanism of American justice has become blocked. This was happening even back when I served at Guantanamo," the minister noted.

He also blamed international human rights organizations, public movements, and lawyers for delaying the processes.

For many years, Guantanamo has been a target of criticism from human rights advocates. A number of suspects were held there without trial, and some former detainees were later released after it was found that they had no connection to terrorist activities.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, there are currently 15 detainees remaining at Guantanamo. Two have already been convicted by a military court, and trials for another seven are ongoing.

Three detainees are being held indefinitely: authorities have not brought new charges against them, but they are also not being released. Another three may be transferred to other countries.

The most well-known detainee remains Pakistani national Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, whom U.S. authorities consider the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Nearly three thousand people died as a result of these attacks.

Human rights organizations continue to criticize the practice of indefinite detention and the use of military tribunals to handle such cases. Over the past few years, several U.S. administrations have attempted to close the Guantanamo prison, but these plans have not been realized.

At the same time, some detainees have been transferred to other American correctional facilities or handed over to third countries.

Pete Hegset's statement has once again drawn attention to the fate of the Guantanamo prison, which has remained one of the most controversial pages of American counter-terrorism policy for over two decades. The debate over the legality of indefinite detention and the future of the prison itself continues to this day.