Amid reports that the U.S. military is force feeding inmates at Guantánamo who are refusing food, an article recently published by The Atlantic explores the ethics of what U.S. officials are calling “suicide prevention.”

Inserting a feeding tube through a nostril. Courtesy macmillan.org.

James Hamblin, the author of the article, writes:

“Will the United States keep these detainees alive for 12 years against their will? If 12 years sounds too long, then what is an appropriate amount of time to keep a prisoner alive by tube feed? Is this torture? Hundreds of physicians around the world have spoken out on behalf of the World Medical Association — in addition to the American Medical Association — in saying that what the U.S. is doing is inhumane. The U.N. Human Rights Commission has said in the past that forced feeding constitutes torture and violates international law.”

Click here to read the complete article.