US military says over half of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay on hunger strike

        
The US military said on Sunday that just over half of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay were on hunger strike.        

A military spokesman said 84 prisoners have been classified as hunger strikers at the US military base in Cuba.        

The US holds 166 men at the prison, most without charge.         

Army Lieutenant Colonel Samuel House said 16 of the 84 prisoners were being force-fed and five have been hospitalized.         

He says none of the hospitalized men have life-threatening conditions.          

About a week after a clash between guards and prisoners, the hunger strike was steadily growing.         

On Tuesday, the number of hunger strikers was 45.          

By Friday, 63 prisoners had joined.         

Prisoners have been on a hunger strike since early February to protest conditions and their indefinite confinement.          

The latest development shows just how tense Guantanamo has become of late, with more than a third of prisoners refusing to eat and nearly everyone locked down for most of the day since a violent clash with guards on April 13.           

At least two detainees have tried to kill themselves since that confrontation between guards in riot gear and prisoners with broomsticks and metal bars.          

Prison officials opened the prison to journalists from The Associated Press and three other news organizations this week, portraying the atmosphere as tense but under control at this detention centre that has been open for 11 years.         

The visit came with certain restrictions.          

Among them was a prohibition on identifying by name certain officials, such as the Muslim cultural affairs adviser who blamed the recent troubles, including the expanding hunger strike, on a small group of jihadist "troublemakers" who he says are trying to make sure at least one fellow prisoner commits suicide.        

Seven prisoners have killed themselves over the years at Guantanamo.          

The most recent, last September, was Adnan Latif, who took an overdose of prescription psychiatric medicine.


AP