- Adults in three European countries express dissatisfaction with the way the United States is operating the Guantanamo Bay detention centre, according to a poll by the Program on International Policy Attitudes. 85 per cent of Germans, 65 per cent of Britons, and 50 per cent of Poles believe the U.S. is not following international treaties.

In India, 34 per cent of respondents believe the current U.S. policies for detaining people it has captured are not legal. In the United States, 52 per cent of respondents see no problem with the situation.

In May 2005, a 308-page report by Amnesty International criticized the U.S. government for its handling of prisoners in several detention centres, including one at Guantanamo Bay where more than 400 "enemy combatants"—most of them from Afghanistan—are being held. Former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton have urged the federal administration to close the prison.

In June, three Guantanamo prisoners were found hanging from the ceilings inside their cells. U.S. officials described the situation as "the first successful suicides" after repeated attempts. In late June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the American government should not be allowed to use military tribunals to try any of the detainees currently held at Guantanamo.

On Jul. 7, U.S. president George W. Bush commented on the Supreme Court's decision, saying, "They were silent on whether or not we should have used Guantanamo. In other words, they accepted the use of Guantanamo, the decision I made. What they did say was, in terms of going forward, what should the court system look like? How can we use a military commission or tribunal? And we'll work with the United States Congress."

Polling Data

Is it your impression that current U.S. policies for detaining people it has captured and is holding in Guantanamo Bay are or are not legal, according to international treaties on the treatment of detainees?

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