Kyndra Rotunda - 2008 Testimony Before A Senate Judicial Subcommittee

2008 Testimony Before A Senate Judicial Subcommittee

In September 2008 Rotunda testified before a subcommittee of the United States Senate's Judicial Committee. In her testimony Rotunda cited incidents where U.S. prison guards were attacked by detainees and where U.S. officials, contrary to U.S. and International Law, made some areas "off limits" to U.S. guards maintaining detention camps. She discussed one incident in Camp Bucca, Iraq, which led detainees to attack from the inside out and resulted in a bloody four day stand off. Rotunda supported religious freedoms for detainees, but opined that making prison areas and detainee personal items "off limits" to searches by U.S. prison guards has led to violence and has put guards at risk. She also pointed-out that it was contrary to U.S. Law. In her testimony before Congress, Rotunda also criticized the U.S. Army for limiting the duties of female military police officers serving in Guantanamo Bay, arguing that the U.S. Military should allow female and male officers alike to perform their duties without imposing limitations based on gender.

"According to one military police officer who served in Guantanamo Bay, detainees brandish their home-made shanks to threaten U.S. troops, and then quickly shove them back into the Qu'ran, where they know are "off limits" to guards. Even in this situation, the guard may not touch the Qu'ran to confiscate the weapon."