A Gitmo Guard Paints a Dark and Scary Picture of Our Enemies

This is definitely a wake up call here folks. Blogger Patterico (of Patterico's Pontifications) is doing a five-part series of interviews with an Army man who worked in the mental health section of Guantanamo Bay. Below is the link to part two, but I plan to read the other three parts as they are published, and I'd recommend anyone who cares about who and what we are fighting do the same. Absolutely bone-chilling stuff here folks, I don't have anything else to add, so here's Patterico.

"I asked him that very question: what are the detainees like? Stashiu said:

For many of them, think Ted Bundy. Educated, charming, and without conscience for those they consider infidels. ...

But, as someone who is familiar with the backgrounds of many of the detainees, does Stashiu think the majority are really terrorists, or just folks who have been scooped up by accident? He said:

I believe that the majority of the guys there are true terrorists, and they follow the Manchester Document to the letter.

If you're unfamiliar with the Manchester Document, it is an official Al Qaeda training manual that was discovered by British police in Manchester, England while searching the computer of a known Al Qaeda terrorist. You can read it here. An article posted on the Defense Department's web site explains that, according to the manual:

If you're a Muslim extremist captured while fighting your holy war against "infidels," avoid revealing information at all costs, don't give your real name, and claim that you were mistreated or tortured during your detention. (Emphasis mine --Ed.)...

Can the detainees be reasoned with? I asked. Or is their indoctrination so complete that there's just no reaching them? Are there any of them who are reasonable enough that Stashiu would feel safe if we were to let them go free?

I don't know that anyone is beyond reason, but I also don't know more than a couple who I think might be OK to release. "Might" being the operative word there, I wouldn't give the go-ahead on my own for any of them. There I are couple I could understand and would not go out of my way to protest their release. I can tell you that if I ever saw a detainee face-to-face here in the States, I would immediately assume that I was targeted and do my best to kill them without further warning. If I turned out to be wrong about their intent, I could live with that. (Emphasis Mine --Ed.) ...

I'll end this part of the interview with a question I consider critical. Does the enemy think they are going to win this war?

Stashiu gave me a detailed answer, but made it clear that it is his opinion — not a statement of the beliefs of the detainees with whom he has spoken. Still, since he has talked to the detainees for hours, it is probably worth paying attention to his opinion. Stashiu's view is this:

In my opinion, most of them are sincere in their belief they will win for the following reasons:

a. They are told they are assured of victory by their religion. They are raised with the belief that Islam is destined to become the dominant way of life for this planet. No matter how long it takes, it is inevitable. Once Islam is supreme, there will be no war, crime, poverty, or need. These are frequent talking points every Friday in the mosques.

b. Their leaders consistently stress that jihad is working and our culture is a hollow shell. They point to VietNam, Somalia, 9/11, Madrid (both the bombings and the elections immediately following), and the anti-war propagandists here in the United States. . . . The jihadists are constantly told that America is weak-willed and will turn and run if they can be inflicted with enough damage and peace can be delayed long enough.

c. They believe they are more committed to victory at any cost because it is all in God's name and is the Will of God. They point to our efforts at minimizing both our own casualties and those of civilians. You never see them worry about collateral damage and destroying infrastructure. They see our compassion as weakness and our integrity as blindness to reality. " (Emphasis Mine --Ed.)