Reply #6: Other news accounts note that the US military denied this at first.

[Miss Authoritiva]

<i>The US Southern Command yesterday admitted that, between 18 and 26 August 2003, the detainees tried to hang or strangle themselves with pieces of clothing and other items in their cells. However they played down the incidents, saying that one - on 22 August - was "a coordinated effort to disrupt camp operations and challenge a new group of security guards from the just-completed unit rotation".</i>

Startling on several counts. Of course, first the military denied it See, for example, the story as it appears in The Telegraph (link):

The suicide attempts came to light after they were mentioned casually during a camp visit earlier this month by three US journalists, but officials issued an immediate denial. However, under media pressure the US Southern Command, which has authority over Camp Delta, confirmed the reports.

Second, the idea that the coordinated suicide attempts were prank-like attempts to disrupt camp operations is really offensive. It reminds me of Rush Limbaugh's fraternity prank take on the Abu Ghraib torture.