It is possible that the stories of the prisoners are exaggerated, just as it was possible that the stories of people such as Brtian Keenan or Terry Waites about their experience as hostages in Lebanon could have been exagerated.

What both sets of captivity have in common is that monitoring of the conditions and treatment of prisoners by the appropriate people from outside was not permitted by the captors. And it still goes on.

I don't believe that posting long extracts from articles that are there at the end of a blue clicky is justifiable. But I do urge people to use that blue clicky in my opening post to read that piece in the Observer. Or hunt around and read some of the other coverage of these allegations.

"I'm not saying it's a tea-party in Guantanamo Bay" - I'm, afraid it's not about a tea party, it's about allegations of something disgusting and shameful, and not to be shrugged off flippantly like that.   

If it can be demonstrated that Colin Powell was speaking the truth when he said "we have discharged all of our obligations under the Geneva Convention to treat people in our custody, our detainees, in a very humanitarian way", that would be very good news indeed. But just because he said it, that doesn't dispel the suspicion fuelled by these stories,and by other evidence, such as the pictures we have all seen. After all, if these stories are true, Colin Powell is among those who should be in the dock.