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CNN Live At Daybreak

Detainees Wheeled From Plane to Cell at X-ray

Aired February 07, 2002 - 06:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The first flight of detainees since last month is expected to arrive at Guantanamo Bay Navy Base in Cuba later today.

CNN's Bob Franken reports on what they'll face when they reach Camp X-Ray.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Some of the detainees are required to get on litters where they lie in manacles and are wheeled 100 yards or so to and from the prison yard and the interrogation sheds. Officials here say it saves time when they can move them that way, and it enhances security.

BRIG. GEN. MICHAEL LEHNERT, TASK FORCE COMMANDER: What we're trying to avoid is some type of an inadvertent action, reaction of bolting, motion, or anything else either to get away from the escorts or to direct any type of violence towards the escorts, and this is just the easiest and most efficient way to do it.

FRANKEN: But there are only two litters and three interrogation rooms. So some of the inmates have to take an inefficient walk in their manacles. This time the tour included a drive, without cameras, right by the cells where reporters observed detainees doing very little. This particular media group includes some special members.

FRANKEN: Officials here say they are not providing special treatment, but for the first time they are escorting Arabic media, middle East television, MBC (ph) and Abu Dhabi TV.

ABDULLA SAFIN, ABU DHABI TV: We are interested to know what are the - what's happening exactly with the interrogation process.

HACENE ZITOUNI, MIDDLE EAST BROADCASTING: The detainees, I have seen, they look much healthier. They look more energetic compared to the pictures that we've seen 26 days ago.

FRANKEN: Whatever impression the current detainees leave, officials here have built new cells and are preparing for the arrival of a new group ending a suspension that lasted more than two weeks. This is considered a temporary facility. There are plans to build a more traditional penitentiary, a modular building, just down the road. But that requires congressional approval and 55 days after that, so it's going to take at least a few months. And in the meantime, Camp X-Ray is going to get pretty crowded.

COL. TERRY CARRICO, CAMP X-RAY COMMANDER: Camp X-Ray is a very manpower intensive for us. So as we increase, we increase manpower, and you can look behind me - it's not a very big place. So when you increase detainee population, you increase security guard population, it's going to become very confined and with that, you always question what's that going to do your security measures.

FRANKEN: Wheeling around inmates was one creative approach to security here and officials admit that they're looking for many more as the whole world looks at what they're doing.

Bob Franken, CNN, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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