The stories ex-Gitmo detainees tell

Tom Joscelyn notes that on Sunday, the New York Times published two op-eds by former Guantanamo detainees claiming they were wrongly detained innocents who were abused and tortured. Tom writes in an email message that the Times might have overlooked a few relevant facts: “Apparently, the Times didn’t realize that one of the two has previously claimed he was tortured more at Gitmo under the Obama administration than the Bush administration. So either the Obama administration is pro-torture, or the ex-Gitmo detainee is lying. As I explain in a lengthy Weekly Standard piece, there are plenty of reasons to doubt every word both ex-detainees say.” Analysts at Gitmo deemed both of the Times op-ed contributors “high” risks to the U.S. and its allies and recommended that they remain in the Defense Department’s custody.

Tom’s Weekly Standard piece makes the case that the Times has made itself the vehicle for disinformation fabricated by — oh, let’s come right out and say it — terrorist operatives. It’s not an airtight case; you have to use common sense to draw the necessary inferences, which is what the Joint Task Force Guantanamo did. According to Tom, JTF-GTMO deemed both of the Times op-ed contributors “high” risks to the United States and its allies and recommended that they remain in the Defense Department’s custody.

Tom’s piece is “The stories ex-Gitmo detainees tell.” Tom leaves a question hanging that is implicit in his piece: Why would the Times make itself the vehicle for terrorist disinformation?

I should add that the Times has done worse, but still…

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