YEE-IKES

James Yee

As a chaplain in the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, Army Capt. James Yee was surprised by how guards abused Muslim prisoners. Yee, a 37-year-old Muslim convert, was even more surprised in fall 2003 when he was arrested and charged with espionage, along with adultery and storing pornography on his Army computer.

Yee, now a private citizen promoting his book, For God and Country, was in Portland to talk about his year at Gitmo and his own mistreatment before the Army dropped all charges in May 2004. WW got its own surprises when Yee sidestepped questions about the war and women's role in it.

WW: Is the Iraq war justified?

James Yee: The information...presented by our government was mischaracterized as true.

So the government lied?

They presented information that was not true.

Why can't someone just say the government lied?

The fact speaks for itself. The best way to build bridges is not to attack someone else.

Can women do everything men can?

I don't think women can produce sperm, just as I don't think men can bear children.

Should women go into combat?

Women should fight for their rights.

You're sneaking out of my question.

Put it this way: I don't think women, especially guards in Guantánamo, should be conducting invasive searches on male prisoners.