The Pentagon on Thursday insisted that it has not abused prisoners at Guantanamo Bay after a documentary said US forces a decade ago blared music of children’s show “Sesame Street” to break in inmates.
The United States has previously acknowledged playing music to influence behavior at the controversial camp, which was set up under former president George W. Bush for detainees captured in the “war of terror” against Al-Qaeda.
A documentary on Al-Jazeera gave further details, saying that prisoners in 2003 were strapped to chairs and played loud music through their headphones for hours or even days and that “Sesame Street” was among the selections.
Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby said he did not know the playlist at the prison camp but that previous investigations covering the time period had approved of the use of music. “Universally, these investigations have shown, and leadership has revealed, that music can be used as both an incentive and a disincentive. It depends on how you use it,” Kirby told reporters. Kirby said he did not know whether music was still played at the prison camp. But he said US forces “rigorously” followed a policy against mistreatment of prisoners.