First:
Prisoners with makeshift weapons battled guards trying to save a detainee pretending to commit suicide at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in what military officials said Friday was a coordinated attack that left six prisoners injured.
And:
The UN anti-torture watchdog called on the United States to close any secret prisons it operates around the world and shut down its Guantanamo Bay centre because they breach international law.
So what do these two stories tell us?
One, by trying to stop an enemy unlawful combatant from committing suicide, we show that we care even about the health of our enemies.
Two, by faking a suicide to stage an ambush, the enemy shows that they can take advantage of our compassion rather than being moved by it to sing Kumbaya.
Three, by attacking us with whatever weapons they could fashion, the enemy shows that they are dangerous as long as they are alive.
Four, by getting their butts kicked, this shows that we can beat them as long as we fight them.
Five, the "international community" shows that it will ignore actual facts of the conflict to condemn us at every turn in whatever forum they can manage to do so. No matter what, they think we are the bad guys in this war.
And Six, there will be little real consequences for those enemy guilty of staging this attack. They will still get their Korans, plentiful culturally sensitive meals, and medical attention.
Sums up our war rather neatly.
