In a 22-minute audio message posted on the Internet earlier this week, Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri laid down the law to America's leadership over the U.S. treatment of hunger striking inmates at Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba.

About 166 prisoners began a hunger strike earlier this year at the U.S. base to protest their indefinite detention and conditions at the base. Many were being force-fed.Zawahri said the strike revealed the "odious" face of America and that Al Qaeda would spare no effort to free them."The (hunger) strike by our brothers at Guantanamo unmasks the true ugly face of (the United States of) America," Zawahri said. "We pledge to God that we will spare no effort to free all our prisoners, on top of whom are Omar Abdel Rahman, Aafia Siddiqui, Khaled Sheikh Mohammed and every oppressed Muslim everywhere."He did not elaborate on what al Qaeda intended to do but in the past militants have kidnapped Westerners and sought to trade them for jailed comrades.Hearing Zawahri degrade and threaten America is humiliating yet there was no response from the Obama administration.Regarding the hunger strike at Gitmo, President Obama recently remarked that he didn't "want these individuals to die" and favors closing the facility and transferring the detainees to prisons in the U.S.There is no evidence of cruel treatment inmates. In fact, one official called the detainees "some of the most pampered prisoners on the planet."There's evidence to back that up. It costs about $800,000 a year to detain each prisoner, which puts the total annual operating budget at the prison to more than $170 million.As for a hunger strike, that's up to the individual.One official said the prisoners get as many as four choices of halal meals, which are foods allowed under Islamic dietary guidelines.The ways we've been kowtowing to the prisoners is disgusting. In 2007, for example, some of the detainees got so fat from overeating from the camp's Islamically correct menu that special treadmills and exercise equipment was brought in to help them trim down.When prisoners found that the equipment was made in the U.S. they refused to use it because we are seen as infidels.The equipment was removed and given to the soldiers to use while new equipment had to be brought in that was made in a Muslim part of the world.The $750,000 spent on a soccer field also raised anger, especially since this administration just hacked away $1 trillion in defense spending to weaken our armed forces.Detainees also have access to more than 10,000 Islamic books and videos. Soccer and Arabic TV are also available for them.Islamic prayer beads and rugs are standard issue but of course no Bibles are distributed since that could "incite" the prisoners.The Muslim librarian is "the only one that's allowed to touch the Korans. One U.S. official said if he went into the Koran room and started examining the book, he could be fired.When prisoners told U.S. officials to stop raising the American flag where they could see it, that was also was granted.They're now demanding newer facilities and easier access to lawyers.Can someone please explain to me how these pampered "guests", who are actually sworn to kill us at the first opportunity, can order us around from their country club prison facility?By Jim Zbickeditor@tnonline.com