Honor Bound to Defend Freedom

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Honor Bound to Defend Freedom is the motto of the Joint Task Force Guantánamo charged with running the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp. The invocation of "Freedom" as the rationale for internment has been noted to bear an eerie reminiscence to the Arbeit macht frei motto of the Auschwitz concentration camp, and to George Orwell's parody of a political slogan, Freedom is Slavery. Those noting it may not realize, however, that the slogans differ fundamentally, as they are addressed to audiences in opposite situations. "Arbeit macht frei" was addressed to the prisoners of the Auschwitz camp, either mocking or deceiving them. "Honor Bound to Defend Freedom" is addressed to the guards at Guantanamo, reminding them of why they must perform an often-unpleasant duty. The guards at Auschwitz were not being exhorted to work for their freedom, and the detainees at Guantanamo are not expected to defend freedom.

Guantanamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom is the title of a 2004 book by Victoria Brittain and Gillian Slovo (ISBN 1-84002-474-7).

Guantanamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom is also a 2004 play is based upon interviews with the families of men detained in Guantanamo Bay.[1]

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