An Empire of Kindness and Tenderness. Boy, 12, recounts days as terror inmate; youngest captive spent 17 months at Guantanamo. But the US military is very nice to children in captivity: "We recognize the special needs of juvenile detainees...Every effort was made to provide them a secure environment free from the influences of older detainees." During the days, they were allowed to run on the grass inside the compound. Sometimes, the soldiers would play football with them.