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Guantanamo Bay detainee accused of having a pet

Pets allowed to some prisoners to change state of mind

Nobody expects cats to contribute much to the war on terror, but according to one attorney representing a Guantanamo bay detainee, the military may be using such a tactic. If true, it would certainly be a very unconventional way of getting someone to talk.

Typically, inmates can be given extra food or better living conditions, and sometimes lighter sentences, when they agree to cooperate. There is no record of anyone at Guantanamo Bay being given a cat in exchange for cooperation.

Typically, inmates can be given extra food or better living conditions, and sometimes lighter sentences, when they agree to cooperate. There is no record of anyone at Guantanamo Bay being given a cat in exchange for cooperation.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Carlos Warner, an attorney for Muhammed Rahim, a translator for Osama bin Laden, ratted out one of his fellow inmates by sending him a one-line letter.

The letter simply read, "Dear Mr. Warner, Majid Khan has a cat."

Majid Khan, an alleged member of Al Qaeda, is set to become a star witness for the prosecution after he agreed to testify against a chief planner of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US.

Warner believes the cat may be a reward for agreeing to testify against his alleged co-conspirators.

In any case, it is one of the less conventional methods of getting someone to talk. Typically, inmates can be given extra food or better living conditions, and sometimes lighter sentences, when they agree to cooperate. There is no record of anyone at Guantanamo Bay being given a cat in exchange for cooperation.

However, pets have been used in other prisons to keep inmates under control and to give them something to do. Certainly, in a setting where individuals can be deprived of caring physical contact, a pet can make a substantial difference to their state of mind.

The military is refusing to either confirm or deny the rumor that the kitten is being used to make Kahn talk.

As for Rahaim, according to Warner, he has another complaint, this time about NBA star, Lebron James. James recently left the Cleveland Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat, and in Rahim's mind this is disloyal.

"Dear Mr. Warner!" the second letter read. "Lebron James is a very bad man. He should apologize to the city of Cleveland."

© 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Keywords: Guantanamo Bay, pets, 9/11, detainees

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