Statistics on hunger strikes and forced feeds through nasal-gastric tubes have long been a useful tool in measuring unrest at Guantanamo Bay detainment facility. At one point in 2013, the military disclosed that over 100 prisoners were on hunger strike and, at the height of their protest, 46 had been force-fed on a single day.
For the past four months military leaders have concealed the statistics on, what they call “non-religious fasting” from the public.
A Navy Captain would say only that a “small handful” are currently fasting. He indicated that the 91 remaining captives seem relatively calm and are expectant of release.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has taken up the cause of Saudi prisoner Mustafa al-Hawsawi, whose lawyers claim his health is deteriorating and his medical care has been inadequate. Gary Ross, a spokesman for the Pentagon stated that he could not release information on any prisoner but asserts that they receive the same medical care as soldiers.
