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http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE55A2WL20090611


Four Uighur detainees to be resettled in Bermuda: U.S.
Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:52am EDT  Email | Print | Share| Reprints | Single Page[-] Text

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Four Chinese Muslim detainees who had been held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility have been resettled in Bermuda, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.

The Obama administration has been under pressure to resettle the detainees, known as Uighurs, as it tries to fulfill its promise to close the controversial prison for foreign terrorism suspects on the U.S. naval base in Cuba.

The announcement comes one day after the tropical Pacific Island nation of Palau agreed to temporarily take in 17 of the Uighur detainees, which the U.S. government worries may face persecution if they are returned to China.

The Uighurs have been cleared of terrorism allegations.

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan)



© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Conspiracy therories anyone?

what type of deal do you think is being cut here?

I have two theories.

One, this is a deal between Brown and the U.S Tax lawmakers to look the other way. Less likely because that would mean Brown was trying to do something to benefit Bermuda.

Two, this is in exchange for Kevin Brown's freedom, or at least a SIGNIFICANTLY reduced sentence. More likely as it fits in with Brown's self-serving agendas.

Yep, those are the two theories that I keep hearing from everyone that I talk to. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

I heard that there was a request submitted to the planning department for an al-qeada training camp in St. Davids. Don't worry though, things take months to get passed around there and it was submitted by guest workers so it probably wont get approved anyway.

On the one hand I'm glad "The People of Bermuda" are able to help these guys out. The decision by Brown's Government on behalf of "The People of Bermuda" to do so is the right thing to do.

I'm just sick and tired of Ewart's constant attempts to make it out that he's the big shot and try to one up the Governor. His constant BS about "now it's up to the Governor because of our colonial relationship" crap is nauseating. Ewart claims to have been in negotiation with the US since his trip to DC and yet the UK hasn't been broached on the subject? Give these guys Bermuda status and they have the legal right to go live in England and no-one bothered to check with Gordon Brown? Wow - Obama's people really know how to diss old Gordie don't they. First a bunch of DVD's and now a bunch of former  aledged Muslim Extremists without any notice.

As to the conspiracy theories: If it turns out that Ewart has actually pulled a deal with Obama's people to "improve" his son's situation I'll be the first to stand in line with eggs in hand whenever Ewart shows his face.

I think this is disgraceful. Is the Bermuda Government acting outside of its authority here? Arent matters of foreign affairs within the exclusive authority of the U.K. government when it comes to Overseas territories?

All of that aside, and even considering the terrible and illegal treatment that these people have suffered at Gitmo, do we really want these people here. Just because you cant satisfy the legal burden of proof that they were terrorists, doesnt mean that they are innocent. If they were 'cleared' by the U.S. authorities of any terrorist activity, then why cant they stay in the U.S.?  With thousands of Central/South American immigrants jumping the border fence or hitting the high water mark every year, are they really worried about the immigration of these 'safe' detainees? 1 and 1 just doesnt equal 2 in this situation.

Who is going to bear the cost when these people decide they need help in dealing with the trauma of their stay in Gitmo? Are they going to be permitted to work? Are we going to have to support them financially? If they dont need work permits, then they will need to be nationalized - wow - what a deal! There is just so much wrong with this situation. I smell a rat - I think its an E-rat!!

from CNN.com

Classic - so happy that America is safer now that these 'innocent' men are in Bermuda!!

You guys want the latest side-spliter?? These 4 men have had training in Taliban Afghanistan camps.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/06/uighurs_released_to_bermuda_al_1.asp

haha i saw this on cnn, and had to come back to post.

what a joke.

what the heck are these poor guys going todo? sit around on the wall?

do they even speak english?

that tiny island in the middle of the pacific, got like 10 million a head or something to take care of them - what did bda get?

where are they going to live?

reading in the speech, brown said bermuda accepted vietnamese refugees? this is news to me -  in my number of years on the island, i never ran or even heard of this.

what a total joke.. things like this, i sure don't miss...

"At one point, officials had considered bringing some of the Uighurs to the state of Virginia, where there is a Uighur community, but the possibility provoked intense opposition in Congress, and the plan was shelved."

I guess that's what one calls democracy.

As stated, I'm OK with having these 4 guys allowed to come to Bermuda however, I too agree that it is outrageous the way it has been done. Brown is an embarrassment. Not only should the UK have been in on the deal from the outset, but the people of Bermuda should have had an opportunity to discuss the idea and get an understanding of the true picture. If you let these guys have status doesn't that also mean they can bring their families to Bermuda as well? How many people are we talking about now? 10-20-30 people? What is the expense going to be to the taxpayer upfront and in the long run? Is the US going to help out long term or just for the transfer period?

Back to the conspiracy theories: I'm thinking less to do with his son. Women's rights groups would have him castrated if that were the case. I'm thinking more butt-sucking Obama. But then again, there is always that little IRS department that keeps sticking it's nose in avery psuedo-American's bank account(sssss).


Disclaimer: If Tora Bora is true then I'm not at all happy have them brought here under these circumstances. They should have been completely vetted first and Bermudians should have known what we were getting ourselves into.

By Jingus I've got it!!!

http://www.theroyalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d965be30030000&sectionId=60

Brown is pulling a Kim Swan! He wants out. Fast. Before the UK pulls a T&C on us. He's done a deal with the devil and put himself in a position where he can fall on his sword claiming he acted as a True Humanitarian and stood up against the evil colonialists! And he can collect his $10 million per head and go live in New York City with his celebrity friends.... bought and paid for by the Bermuda Tourism Department. Ching Ching. :)

"However this morning it emerged the decision had been taken without the permission of Government House.

Governor Sir Richard Gozney said: “Yes it was done without permission and the Government of Bermuda should have consulted with us because it carries with it foreign policy ground areas and security issues.

“We will now need to assess these four individuals. We were only told this morning.

“We are working with the Government of Bermuda to address these issues. There are two parts to it – the assessing of the individuals and the other is assessing the implications.

“I am not going to pass judgement on it. We are talking to the Premier.”"

Hmmmmm..... I've got a feeling Obama's people are receiving a few phone calls as well....

"Mr. President, Prime Minister Gordon Brown is on the line.... and he's calling collect."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article6480320.ece

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090611/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_guantanamo_uighur_detainees



W....T....F...


I don't even know what to say on this one. What on Earth was Brown thinking? No doubt he was compensated well for this nonsense.


Like we have the space here to accept anyone and instantly nationalise them, let alone potential terrorists that the U.S. doesn't want on their soil. It goes against their entire argument for the term limits.

It goes against any sort of right thinking.

Bravo, Dr. Brown, every time I think you can't top yourself you go and prove me wrong. Amazing.

Hey, look at the bright side. We're finally getting some bang for our mega-bucks on the new london office. :)

I can just see it now:

Governor: "Get Premier Brown on the line."
Operator: "Sorry but there's no answer at the London office. It's closed for the day."
Governor: "Then call him at the Cabinet."
Operator: "The Cabinet says we have to wait till the morning when the London office opens."
Governor: "Screw that, just tell Brown that I'm going over to see him in person."
Operator: "He said great..... he'll look out for you on the plane."

"I am not a student of international law, but as I understand it, under such law, the US is obligated to take them in, and as such a vote in the US Congress is irrelevant (although it was nice that they at least got to vote on it).  Furthermore, it would appear that Bermuda was either threatened or bribed to take these detainees.  Again, I am not a student of law, but as I understand it, Dr. Brown, in so capitulating to such threats or bribes, has committed an act of treason.

Perhaps the lawyers on this site can clarify the international law issues and that of treason?"

Good lord Johnny Star - no wonder LaVerne wants her money back. And the green beret..... :)

This happened in 1974 or thereabouts, nearly every country in the world took on Vietnamese refugees. Don't know if any have remained here.

I know of at least one vietnamese refugee that is still here. He is a good guy and has been working at the same job for many years. I dont want to name him but he has definitely integrated well into the community and if these guys are able to settle in like he has I dont see a problem.


On the other hand he is not an islamic jihadist who trained in al-qaeda terror camps.

From another world.... best ****ing idea yet!!

"Quote from: Piglet of the Yard on Today at 04:27:16 PM

Minister Burch just confirmed on air (Everest's show) that the Bermudian people did not deserve to have a say or participate in the decision to take the Gitmo prisoners.

You can't make this shit up...really you can't......

I vote we keep these four and send four of our own back to Gitmo....that would seem fair!

Piglet

Have a wuffle on me for that."

And you sir are getting 2 K's for that suggestion! :)

Wow. Everyone in the office is talking about this today!

Minister Burch just confirmed on air (Everest's show) that the Bermudian people did not deserve to have a say or participate in the decision to take the Gitmo prisoners.

Welcome to the Republic of Brownistan.

One of the arguments that we should be sympathetic to these detainees is that otherwise they will be stateless (implicitly, through no fault of their own). But my understanding is that these are PRC citizens who were picked up in Afghanistan. If they travelled there legally, would they not have done so using a PRC passport, which they would still have? If they travelled there illegally, without using a passport, are they not responsible for their statelessness now? Or am I missing something?

I have no problem helping these people, although I am curious of Dr. Brown's sudden penchant for humanitarian aid, but to make them eligible to be Bermudian...just does not make sense when we have many people already here, who have made significant contributions to the community and are ineligible.

We cannot realistically afford the space as an island to house these people, how easy will it be for them to get decent jobs, socialize, 7 years is a long time to be in an institution, especially that one, will they need psychiatric help? Medical help? OF course that will be on the people.

I find it hard to believe they did not get anything for this deal.

As for Col. Burch, he was grasping at straws this afternoon, and had no idea. Cabinet secrecy my ass, if you believe this was discussed with cabinet I have a rather nice bridge to sell you. Burch took a bullet on that one, there is no way you can claim humanitarian aid, or "we are helping out a friend in need", "celebrating our 400 year relationship, 1 PoW for every 100 years"...nice try Burch.

The fact that they circumvented the British Government alone should lead to an investigation, or inquiry.

I hope our island reporters are keeping a close eye on Dr. Brown's son's trial, and his standing with the IRS.

If the UBP let this slide, they don't deserve to enter parliament.

The UBP need a full turnout every session, no excuses. They have alot of work to do, and are directly to blame for the crap that is going on in government. Time to dig deep and redeem yourselves or gtfo.

I can understand the desire not to send them back to China. I can understand bringing them to Bermuda. But I cannot understand them being given Bermuda status if, as Phil points out, they have already have PRC passports. They can live in Bermuda with permits, they can travel under their PRC passports. They can apply for Bermuda status according to the same rules that apply to everyone.

If the PRC has revoked their passports then the US should issue them passports. Issuing them a Bermuda passport opens up a can of worms with the European Union.

It's all very well for Ewart Brown to desire to play the Humanitarian, but by doing it behind everyone's backs totally discredits him. And the Obama team.  Why couldn't he, and Hillary, and Slayton simply say Bermuda would be interested in helping Obama out and taking some of the Gitmo people but we have to make sure it's kosher with the UK? He'd have looked a hero, the UK would have been put on point to support his position, Bermudians would have had a chance to weigh the pros and cons and see what's in it for the island as a whole. Heck I was even going to suggest it a few days ago but I've given up on trying to help Ewart Brown.

No. There's more here than meets the eye. Brown's got some personal vested interests at stake. Either that or he's the biggest moron leader of a country this side of the Himalayas.

this definately stinks of a quid pro quo but I don't think his son is one of them. California has him by the short and curlies and there would be one hell of an outcry from womens groups and I believe the Governor of California who just happens to be a republican and would love to make waves about this. 

I do believe this is an attempt to shake up the UK government to have them think of letting go of Bermuda or somehow forcing the issue of independence in Bermuda by getting the people to think that the UK has defied the peoples government if they over rule this issue.

the Uk is now in a precarious position as it has to face China which Bermuda does not and escapes scott free.  This is nothing more than a calculated risk by Herr Doctor and his henchmen.

Look out as the shit is just beginning.

Chasmanic...i think you are correct. A highly calculated move to get independence back on the "menu." People are losing patience with his autocratic style, we all know he's a lyer and is hell bent on lining his pockets and those of his friends and family with taxpayers money. Think of the tourism "slush fund" right out of Misicks playbook.
We know he's a slimy operator, we know he cheats on his wife, we know his sons are delinquent. We know he's unethical. Even the normally apathetic Bermudian public have had enough. What better way to improve your standing than a highly public spat with the "evil colonial overlords". 

It's a tactic that comes with risk too. If the UK does lose patience, then perhaps the T&C style commission of inquiry may materialise and that's the end for Ewart. Be interesting to see how this plays out.

It's also a measure of the man, it's all about him and what he personally can gain.

I'm afraid I have to agree with Corporal Burch here. The people of Bermuda should not have been consulted on this matter. We voted in a particular government and in doing so gave them the authority to represent our interests in a manner that they determined to be best for us all. As always, our say will come at the next election. At that point, as always, we get what we ask for.

As for the detainees, they are not stateless, they are Chinese. The irony is that they cannot be repatriated because ther is a likelihood that they will be punished for their political beliefs. ('We can torture them, but you cant') Having said that, the U.S. is obliged to ensure that they either stay in the U.S. or are transported to a third country with an acceptable human rights record. (I'm actually laughing as I type this given that they have probably been extensively tortured over the past few years by the U.S.) You cant blame the U.S. for not wanting them, just the idiot who accepts other people's problems.

I flatly dont believe that our leader volunteered Bermuda's services. I suspect there was considerable pressure brougt to bear by the U.S. Having said that the whole scenario suits him very well. He gets his name in CNN, he looks like a real swell guy and he gets to provoke the U.K. a bit more. But he always had the option of putting the whole scenario in the UK govt. lap. He could have told the U.S. that he did not have the authority to discuss issues relating to International relations. In that regard, there must have been a honey pot. We will never know.

It is all well and good to take in a person who has endured hardship and all the bleeding hearts will think this is wonderful, but the Attorney General's words serve as a stark warning as to what we are getting. None of us here know what these people have done and the safe money is on the fact that Ewart Brown has no clue either. This is publicity and risk that we dont need. Do you think that their experiences at Gitmo have cured or increased their animosity to western ways? Has Ewart put us on the terrorism map?

If this is Ewart Brown's latest attempt to get the Independence ball rolling, ultimately I think he will fail. At no prior time in Bermuda ( at least not in my 31 years), have we had so controversial a Premier. Right now, the spotlight is squarely on him. At no time previously has Bermuda's people expressed any desire to go Independent,and I believe the Uk will view these 'tactics' by Brown as just one man out of control, and not indicative of Bermuda as a whole. Surely they must have a dossier on him, and it must be growing by the week. With this latest event, with it being all over the news from the US to China, I don't think the UK can stand by any longer. Brown's shenanigans are now in international newsprint, so it's all but impossible to turn a blind eye, and surely there will be calls for some heads to roll.

This is a diplomatic nightmare, I'm in the UK now(studying) and the British press are all over this. Not only are they furious with Brown and co, but also the U.S because they should know better. The U.S, for lack of a better analogy, made a deal with the indian, not the chief. And now China is calling for the return of these men, it will be interesting to see where this leads. But for Bermuda's sake, I hope that this is the proverbial chain around Brown's neck, and hopefully he's hung himself with this one(fingers crossed). 
 
 
 

New Zealand - Chinese Muslims trigger public backlash in Palau... [2009-06-12 Associated Press]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090612/ap_on_re_au_an/as_us_palau_guantanamo

Chinese Muslims trigger public backlash in Palau

By RAY LILLEY
Associated Press Writer

2009-06-12

WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Palau's decision to allow 13 Chinese Muslims from Guantanamo Bay to resettle on the tiny Pacific nation has sparked a groundswell of anger among islanders who fear for the safety and reputation of the tranquil tourist haven.

The U.S. government determined last year that the Chinese Muslims, or Uighurs, were not enemy combatants and should be released from the U.S. military prison in Cuba. China has objected to the Palau resettlement plan, calling the men "terrorist suspects" and demanding they be sent home.

The U.S. has said it feared the men would be executed if they were returned to China.

Nevertheless, Palauan opinion on President Johnson Toribiong's decision to grant the Uighurs entry appeared overwhelmingly negative, with some complaining Friday that the government had failed to consult the people.

"I totally disagree" with allowing the Uighurs onto Palau, Natalia Baulis told The Associated Press by telephone.

"It's good to be humanitarian and all, but still these people ... to me are scary," the 30-year-old mother of two said.

Four Uighurs left Guantanamo Bay for a new home in Bermuda on Thursday, and 13 more were to be resettled in Palau. They have been in custody since they were captured in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2001.

Fermin Nariang, editor of the Palau newspaper Island Times, said he had been stopped in the streets of the capital Koror by locals venting their anger.

"This is a very small country ... and some are saying if the whole world doesn't want these folks, why are we taking them?" Nariang said. The government has "fumbled the ball on this one."
Reactions in the media were also largely negative.


"I'm also afraid this news is going to scare the tourists who plan to come to Palau," islander Debedebk Mongami told the newspaper.

The Palau Chamber of Commerce, which represents the island's multimillion dollar hotel industry, did not return AP's calls for comment Friday.

Mongami stressed the need to ensure the Uighurs were no longer tied to terrorism before they arrived, and asked why the U.S. was not taking them in instead.

Toribiong has denied the move was influenced by any massive aid package from Washington, saying instead that the Uighurs had become "international vagabonds" who deserved a fresh start.

"Palau's people are always on the side of the U.S. government," Toribiong said.

He said Palau would send a delegation to Guantanamo to assess the Uighur detainees. It was unclear when this would happen or when the Uighurs would arrive on the island.

Although the Pentagon said the Uighurs were not enemy combatants, the Obama administration has faced fierce congressional opposition to allowing them into the U.S. as free men. China says no other country should take them.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a news conference that the U.S. should "stop handing over terrorist suspects to any third country, so as to expatriate them to China at an early date." He did not say if China would take any action in response.

Toribiong said Palau did not consider China's reaction when it accepted the U.S. request to temporarily resettle the detainees.

Palau has eight main islands and more than 250 islets, and is a former U.S. trust territory that has retained close ties with the United States since independence in 1994.

Some 20,000 people live in Palau, a predominantly Christian nation.

--

© 2009 The Associated Press.

I think Brown is firmly in control, RGP. I think he knows precisely what he is doing. If he gets away with it, he wins. If the UK govt intervene he wins because his followers will resent the 'outside' interference, thereby fueling the independence fire.

Not much has been said about the consequences this will have relating to Bermuda-Chinese relations. Can we afford to be on their s**t list?

AIG gets $85 billion in bailout money, yet they can keep their "headquarters" here in Bermuda. The least Bermuda can do is take a couple of scruffy refugees. Come on people. Our financial future for a few 'refugees"? Easy trade off really isn't it? Imagine if Obama had ordered the Bermy shop closed!!!!!

Some times you gotta kiss a little a** to get ahead.

Bad habits... they are so hard to break.

I understand the nature of deals, but you are misinformed. AIG's headquarters are not in Bermuda.

Noone is so naive as to think there wasnt a special deal here, and in truth the terms o the deal arent that difficult to figure out. The point is, this was a bullet that Brown could have and should have dodged. The situation with IB would have been resolved without this. In addition, if the absence of these 'refugees' as you call them make the U.S. safer then what have we gotten ourselves into?

From the Royal Gazette:

"Speaking on condition of anonymity, a State Department official said Washington negotiated the release of the four Uighurs directly with Bermuda Government on the understanding it was consulting the Governor.

William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, demanded an explanation from Foreign Secretary David Miliband and said the (British) government appeared to have "lost grip of running the country" amid internal Labour party rows over Gordon Brown's future.

"It is astonishing that an agreement of such significance … could have taken place without a ripple reaching Whitehall," Hague said. "The UK is responsible for Bermuda's external relations, defence and security and for appointing its governor. Yet the FCO [Foreign and Commonwealth Office] appears to have had no idea that these discussions were taking place.

"Even before this there were serious questions about whether the government has paid sufficient attention to UK overseas territories. These questions have reached a new level.""


So there you have it. Predictions:

Obama's camp is going to claim they were hood-winked mislead by Brown and Burch into believing they were working with Governor Gozney. They will make a formal apology to the UK FCO and Governor Gozney.

The British Government will accept the apology explaining that their delinquent son (Chris Farley in Black Sheep delinquent) just didn't understand his position in the grand scheme of things. They will then demand that the 4 men cannot receive British Passports until they have been completely vetted.
They will request the US Government to finance their stay in Bermuda whilst the vetting process takes place. Maybe put them up at the soon to be vacated Consulate house in Tucker's Town. The process could take a while but Tucker's Town beats Gitmo by a long shot.

Brown will now become persona non-gratis in the US, UK and Bermuda. All his buddy congressmen will be too busy to take his calls. In other words they will stay as far away as possible from his toxic sludge.

The PLP party will finally say enough is enough he's got to go.... OK that last part was more a dream than a prediction.

So I turned on Thaao Dill, the smoke screens and spins are in full effect.

Fully focussing on this as a humanitarian issue, and almost scolding those who take issue with it, he deflects any attempt to address the manner in which it was handled, the possible repercussions and the fact that many others have turned them down.

When a caller brought up the fact that Dr. Brown did not consult with the UK, Thaao said it irritated him that they had to ask for permission for anything, and when the guy said it was law, he begrudgingly acquiesced.

Then Nikki, the next host came in to take over and played the role of the 'everyday joe" while Thaao took the part of the "conscientious guiding hand", and they played out the situation subtly, basically 'performing' how Bermudians should think.

One more time Thaao: this has nothing to do with not wanting to help someone! This has everything to do with the ignorance of proper protocol and procedure by the Bermudian government, and landing us in news headlines all over the world in a negative light and stressing relationships with not just the US, but UK and China. You  can spin it all you want, but at the end of the day, that is what the problem is. Stating that "having to ask permission for anything" irritates you, is part of the reason there are so many problems on this island today. It was an irresponsible thing to say and just imagine if everyone felt they did not feel like following the rules and law, because it was "irritating". Just lost any respect for you bro. Pathetic.


Not that it will be addressed, or that anything will come of it, this is Bermuda of course.

"When a caller brought up the fact that Dr. Brown did not consult with the UK, Thaao said it irritated him that they had to ask for permission for anything, and when the guy said it was law, he begrudgingly acquiesced."

Thaao's just getting Greasy with it.....

CO - now do you see where I have a problem with the boy/man?


Hmmmmm..... imagine if John Swan had done something like this back in the day. No consulting his own cabinet, nor the UK. No consideration as to what the ramifications would be to the integrity of the Bermuda people. Back of town would be in flames.

BREAKING NEWS:

Hillary Clinton has come out with a full and complete explanation as to why the Obama Administration believed the resettling of the four Chinese men, formally with the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, to Bermuda was OK.

Mrs. Clinton stated: "When I was talking to Senator Burch on the phone he told me he had no problem with the Eastern Tucker's Town Islamic Movement"

We are not amused: :slap:

...this is a great article!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8096925.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8096925.stm)

Guess this whole situation isn't going to help bring any Chinese Tourists to the island...

http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?sectionId=60&articleId=7d7b0be30030000

Au contraire.... knowing Ewart he's probably already got four freshly minted Bermudians picked out to open up the office. He says their Chinese is a little rusty but according to Burch they should be good to go within days..... just got to figure out what the currency exchange rate is with Beijing. ;)

Picnic in the Parliament's Park..... who's coming? :)

If you had noted my message i had put "headquarters in ""... my message was a jab... not a serious one though.

I'm not always "misinformed".

Hi, I don't usually participate in ongoing discussions, prefering to just follow and read what others have to say. I just had to chime in about this situation. I feel so sorry about what these poor fellows have gone through recently, I myself had no nationality for many years until I applied and received my American nationality. I was born and spent my childhood in Bermuda some 30 years ago and out of no fault of my own left the island to acompany my parents to their homeland. I'm not disputing the right of the government of Bermuda to decide who has the right to Bermudian citizenship, it just feels like a very crisp and forceful slap in the face to find that these poor refugees may be eligible for Bermudian citizenship, something that I've always dreamed of, especially since I was actually born in Bermuda, have a British dependant territories passport and a Bermudian birth certificate and I have no rights whatsoever to return to the land that I first set my eyes on. I don't want to start any arguments with anyone here who has a differing opinion than mine, I'm just adding another view point to the discussion. Does anyone else see the Hypocrisy in this?

Paulc,

I think many will see exactly what you are saying - and you will not have an argument with anyone on your views. We are still a democracy (well - for the moment that is!).

Welcome by the way.

Britain - Is Britain behind Bermuda's taking of Guantanamo detainees? [2009-06-14 Jamaica Observer]

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/html/20090613T220000-0500_153470_OBS_IS_BRITAIN_BEHIND_BERMUDA_S_TAKING_OF_GUANTANAMO_DETAINEES_.asp

IS BRITAIN BEHIND BERMUDA'S TAKING OF GUANTANAMO DETAINEES?

*DIANE ABBOTT

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Little Bermuda has got itself involved in global political matters by offering to take four detainees from the notorious American detention centre at Guantanamo Bay.

Guantanamo has become emblematic of everything that was wrong with the American "War on Terror".

It is a detention centre for alleged terrorists on the island of Cuba. British public opinion was shocked when national newspapers splashed pictures of the detainees in orange jump-suits chained and manacled. George W Bush claimed that these detainees were not prisoners of war (even though they were picked up under the "War on Terror") so that they were denied all the protections that international treaties guarantee prisoners of war. And furthermore, because Guantanamo was technically not on American territory, Bush was also able to argue that the normal rights and rules of procedure that apply to American criminals did not apply to Guantanamo detainees.

President Obama made a campaign promise to close Guantanamo. But it has proved easier said than done. There is not enough evidence to put most of the detainees on trial. But American opinion has been inflamed by years of Bush/Cheney propaganda to believe that all the detainees are dangerous terrorists dripping in blood. So the president has had to concede that none of the terrorists will be released onto American soil. This poses a dilemma as to who will take them.

Step forward little Bermuda. It has agreed to take four Guantanamo detainees. The four men are actually Chinese Muslims who were picked up in Afghanistan by mistake. They were not involved in any military action against America. The American courts had actually ordered them released last year. On arriving in Bermuda, the detainees expressed their heartfelt gratitude. "We are deeply grateful to the Government and the people of Bermuda for this act of grace," they said. "Nations need good friends. When political opportunists blocked justice in our own country, Bermuda has reminded her old friend, America, what justice is."

They added: "From the time of our great-grandparents centuries ago, we have never been against the United States and we do not want to be against the United States."

(http://i40.tinypic.com/4h4lyw.jpg)

HAMILTON, Bermuda - Bermuda's Prime Minister Ewart Brown speaks during a news conference in Hamilton, Thursday, June 11, 2009. Brown came under fire for accepting four Chinese Muslims who had been detained in Guantanamo Bay, with residents and the British government questioning whether the Caribbean island is prepared for such a large responsibility. (Photo: AP)

But Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory. So, strictly speaking, its foreign policy is a matter for the British Government here in London. And apparently the British are furious with Bermuda. A Foreign Office spokesman said, "We've underlined to the Bermuda Government that they should have consulted with the United Kingdom as to whether this falls within their competence or is a security issue, for which the Bermuda Government do not have delegated responsibility."

However, some commentators say that this indignation may be synthetic, and that Bermuda may have agreed to take the detainees as part of negotiations in which the British were involved. However, by sounding cross now, the British are able to deny responsibility.

It may be that by accepting detainees from Guantanamo, who turn out to be harmless, Bermuda will encourage others to do this and so help speed up the closing of the facility.

So President Obama will owe Bermuda a debt of gratitude. I look forward to photographs of Barack, Michelle and the girls holidaying in Bermuda any day soon.

--

© 2000-2001 Jamaica Observer.

*[2009-06-14 BLS:

Diane Abbott MP

Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington. Biography, details of campaigns , and local information.
www.dianeabbott.org.uk/

...]

Thank you for the welcome Martin, I truly appreciate it. I'm still slowly learning the nuances of local Bermuda politics and am therefore a little reluctant to voice any opnion in order to not come across as naive, missinformed or condescending regarding local issues. The reason that I decided to delurk on this one issue is that it touches me in a very personal way.

Couple of comments...Dianne Abbott isn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. I remember her in opposition on "Question Time" (BBCTV show - political talk) and she was firmly a prime example of "The Looney Left".

Secondly. the PLP's spin on this is nauseating. Whatever backroom deal was made, or whatever the motive (it will be a while before we are blessed with this information) if you think this was merely the Doc. and his humanitarian credentials you are a f*cking idiot. The man has never done anything without thought to his personal gain. The four individuals concerned are pawns in a larger game.

If it is correct that the Cabinet was not involved in this decision, then it seems very clear to me that this is for Brown's personal gain - and nothing else.

He will have realised that some in his cabinet would not go along with it, if only because his arguments around the humanitarian label simply do not hold any water.

Clearly, therefore, Brown stands to gain from this personally - and one is left wondering what little goody he has had from the US for this.

We will never know.

I think that the most distasteful aspect of this, is that he is effectively using and abusing PLP supporters to make his gains. Some are clearly so gullible, sucked in by the usual rhetoric of plantations etc, and others are part of the Friends & Family plan.

In the fullness of time - the PLP will look so incredibly stupid as a result. And in fairness to the PLP, they do not deserve to be used in this way. No one does.

Paul, your situation is a perfect example of one of the many things wrong here. And you are hardly alone; many Bermudians are raising this issue. People who have lived their entire lives in Bermuda and unable to obtain status.  I can only imagine how scorned you must feel at that.

Welcome to the boards, we're all in the same boat here, reasonable people searching for answers.

Thank you RGP for the welcome, if it interests anyone, maybe the more palatable compromise solution would be to allow indefinate long term residential status, for as long as is neccessary, to these individuals instead of a possibility of citizenship status, it would probably prove to be much more reasonable than the promise of just giving away the "holy grail" that is Bermudian citizenship status to people that probably never heard of Bermuda until they stepped off of the plane. There are countless residents in Bermuda that are long term residents that don't benefit from Status, it seems to work for them. It certainly would be less of a big middle finger to someone like me if they went that route.

Hello Paulc1965,

Your situation is certainly one of the cases that Bermudians would be concerned with and would want a new light shed on. As would be the case with the young Bermudian who had to quit college to come back to Bermuda to get a job in order to support her mother. If Brown (and the whole Bermuda Government) are claiming to be acting on a "Humanitarian" basis then your case surely falls into that category. So why have they been so much less than humanitarian for so long with you?

The situation at hand with the four former detainees is simply a matter of our vindictive, arrogant premier using them in an attempt to embarrass the UK. I am confident the UK will put some sort of restriction on these men until they have proven they can be trusted. The people of the UK would be incensed if they were just allowed to walk in just because our premier decided he wanted to circumvent the rules.

Hopefully this debacle will shine the light on cases such as yours and the people of bermuda will see just what is going on. Not every case warrants a "humanitarian" approach to approving status, but there certainly are some that do.

Hello SmokingGun, gratefully I'm not in a dire situation, I'm living and making a life for myself here in the states. That said, my heart has always been and will always be with Bermuda, I'm a True Bermudian at heart and have always fantasized with some day being able to reside in my true homeland, that most beautiful of islands. I understand that there really isn't enough room for all who want to move there, however if I was given the opportunity, I'd take it in a heart beat. Currently i'm an adopted American citizen and am very grateful for being able to reside here. I'm not familiar enough with Bermuda politics to comment on the reasons for taking in these poor guys nor will I speculate. I'll keep paying close attention to the progress of this situation and always wish the best for Bermuda and my Bermudian bretheren. 

It seems to me that with all the high powered players in this debacle. The American Consul (Slayton)should have insisted that the proper protocols were followed, which includes involving the Governor. Why did he fail to contact Government House on an official basis?

Good question to ask him but apparently he was just a puppet in the play. His handlers didn't want to let London know what was going on as they wanted to save the poor little British Government from getting yelled at by the Chinese.....

Could you imagine Gordon Brown being yelled at by an angry mob of people? Oh wait, obviously the ****ing US Government doesn't watch any of the Parliamentary debates.

And the Chinese are supposed to play along and think this was all done for their benefit so they can rattle their little plastic swords, which are of course, made in China.

PS: I think a comment from Slayton is one thing he's going to be keeping under his hat.....

I'll take the current US government over Bermuda or UK by a mile.

As a psychologist who has fought for the freedom of the innocent people, illegally imprisoned by the U.S. Government, I am impressed and heartened by the actions of the Bermuda government.  The actions of Bermuda in respecting the rule of law and opening their country to give innocent people back their freedom is something we should expect from most countries, but this has not been the case.  I applaud Bermuda’s commitment to human rights.  I am shocked that the United Bermuda Party would oppose freedom for innocent men, even as I have been shocked by my own country’s actions.

Bermuda has shown itself to be one of the few brave countries in the world today.

The illegality of the U.S. government's detention of these people has nothing to do with the matter at hand, nor the UBP's objection to Brown's actions. Nor does the illegality of the detention necessarily mean that these people were innocent. In fact, we dont even know what they were there for. I urge you to consider the U.S> attorney general's words and the admission that these people were not a threat to the U.S.  (it does not necessarily follow that they werent/arent a threat to others.) Terrorism is a universal crime and every nation is obliged to combat it, regardless of whether they are the target of the terrorist in question.

There is no escaping the fact that the practices at Guantanamo Bay are an affront to humanity, but I for one do not now how that equates to an obligation for Bermuda to accept people who may well be dangerous. Nor do I feel that it equates to a need to act in a manner contrary to accepted political practice as is the case here.

Trudybond,

The rule of law was in fact broken here. And AGAIN, that is the issue, not the 4 former detainees of the U.S. Granted the U.S. should have taken them in themselves, but this is nothing to do with a humanitarian gesture.  


This was not an action by the Bermuda Government, this was a self serving action of one man who flaunts the law whenever it suits him for personal gain.

The UBP have said it already, this is not about the detainees themselves, this is about the manner in which Dr. Brown went about it.

And if you had read any of the posts here, you would see that most are not bother by taking them in, but by the fact that our own leader broke the constitutional process he is bound by.

As a psychologist, I am sure you are an intelligent person, so, to make the ignorant statement you just made tells me you did not read the forum or you are political plant instructed to post that drivel to distract from the issue.

Please feel free re-read the points and then feel free to address the issues being deal here.

According to the paper there's a protest march planned for 12:30pm today. In other news, Laverne is planning a "counter attack" in her words. 

I see rivers of blood running in the streets...mobilise the regiment and their wooden rifles!!

Two demo's....? Interesting. Guess the Prem will be in his office today.

Anyone really know the truth?

Gazette: The four Chinese Muslims released from Guantánamo Bay to come to Bermuda say they had never even heard of al Qaeda until they arrived at the US prison camp where they have been confined for the past seven years.

http://www.theroyalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d966a73003003d&sectionId=60

MON: ALL four of the Uighurs released to Bermuda yesterday from Guantanamo Bay trained at the Tora Bora terrorist camp in Afghanistan, it has emerged.

The former detainees all admitted to having trained at the camp, which was run by the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, a group designated as a terrorist organisation by both the United States and United Nations.

According to the US State Department, members of the ETIM have fought alongside the Taliban and al Qaeda and threatened last year to attack the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

http://www.midoceannews.bm/siftology.midoceannews/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d9663f30080000&sectionId=60

If it is found to be true beyond a shadow of a doubt that the former detainees, that are the subject of this thread, did indeed train in a camp run by an Islamic group, This may have the potential to become an even greater issue than it has been so far. As far as a previous post refering to how "Humanitarian and corageous" the act of allowing these gentlemen in to Bermuda is, please do wait until we are clear as to who these men really are and where they have been. I am concerned with these new revelations about training camps and relationships with Islamic groups. I sincerely hope that all ends well.

Paget - nothing to do with the Government. Everything to do with how the sessions operate. When some backbencher can get up and say "The right honourable member of the house is a complete and utter twat with a a very lonely girlfriend who wouldn't know how to make love to her even if Rambo was with him!" and be laughed off do you think some Chinese guy half way around the world is going to get him upset? :)

TrudyBond: As mentioned by others. This has absolutely nothing to do with the so-called humanitarian aspect of what is happening. This was a ploy by Brown and everyone and their sons know it. He even admits it.

Being the psychologist how do you sum up Brown's follow up quote: "Had I know this would cause such a firestorm I would have thought twice about doing it."? Well he did know what was coming. He even admitted he knew well before hand. He intended to create the firestorm. A true humanitarian knowing full well what might be the case wouldn't second guess themselves one bit.

The real humanitarians here are the People of Bermuda. We will always reach out when we can. This is not the first time we've done so. We will take care of these guys if they prove to be as "innocent' as everyone says. But that does not change the fact that Bermuda does not need Ewart Brown. He's pulled one too many stunts and this time he's lost all his credibility with the people.

There is a reason Barrack Obama does not have both the codes and the keys to the nuclear bombs in his desk.

US - Psychologists for Social Responsibility praises Bermuda government... [2009-06-15 OpEdNews]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Psychologists-for-Social-R-by-Stephen-Soldz-090615-222.html   

June 15, 2009 at 18:33:50

Psychologists for Social Responsibility praises Bermuda government

by Stephen Soldz

www.opednews.com

Psychologists for Social Responsibility [PsySR] < http://psysr.org/ > has issued a statement in support of the Bermuda government's willingness to take in four of the Uighers who have been wrongfully imprisoned at Guantanamo for many years. As the decision has aroused internal opposition, it is important for the Bermuda government to know that people around the world notice their praiseworthy action. I don't know about you, but I can see a Bermuda vacation in my future!

   Psychologists for Social Responsibility thanks the government of Bermuda and Bermuda Premier Dr. Ewart Brown for their humanitarian action in allowing four wrongfully detained Uighers to settle there upon their release after years of detention at Guantanamo. This action is an important statement on behalf of Bermuda in support of human rights and common decency. We encourage other governments around the world, especially the United States government, to emulate Bermuda and also take in Guantanamo detainees.

http://psychoanalystsopposewar.org/blog/

-

Stephen Soldz is psychoanalyst, psychologist, public health researcher, and faculty member at the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis < http://www.bgsp.edu/ >. He is co-founder of the Coalition for an Ethical Psychology (more... < http://www.opednews.com/author/author80.html >)

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.

Contact Author
http://www.opednews.com/populum/messagesend.php?to=80&from=31106&a=n&entry=http://www.opednews.com/articles/Psychologists-for-Social-R-by-Stephen-Soldz-090615-222.html

Contact Editor
http://www.opednews.com/populum/messagesend.php?to=2&from=31106&a=n&entry=http://www.opednews.com/articles/Psychologists-for-Social-R-by-Stephen-Soldz-090615-222.html

View Authors' Articles
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--

© 2002-2009, OpEdNews

Bermuda - Bermudians protesting against Premier Brown's policies today... [2009-06-16 Daily Mail]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1193420/Milibands-frank-conversation-Clinton-U-S-decision-transfer-Guantanamo-detainees-Bermuda.html

(http://i42.tinypic.com/2dweous.jpg)

Bermudians protesting against Premier Brown's policies outside Bermuda's House of Parliament in Hamilton today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91fXaEgdpNM

My poor video footage for those who are not on island.

G'day, sandgrownan et al...

In the hope of it being discussed on Britain's BBC one "This Week" program tonite— 2009-06-18 23.35 BST..

I 2009-06-18 10.30 BST e-mailed the BBC one "This Week" program via:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/this_week/contact_us/default.stm

Greetings, all...

Please discuss Diane's article:

Jamaica - Is Britain behind Bermuda's taking of Guantanamo detainees? [2009-06-14 Jamaica Observer]

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/html/20090613T220000-0500_153470_OBS_IS_BRITAIN_BEHIND_BERMUDA_S_TAKING_OF_GUANTANAMO_DETAINEES_.asp

As a former honorary consul of Denmark to Bermuda—1969-1984... I think Dr Ewart Brown's alleged humanitarian endeavors went well beyond the remit of a British Overseas Territory premier...

Thank you...

UNQUOTE...

Ciao...

B+...

Wishful thinking on my part, I'm sorry to report...

Ciao...

B+...

US - Check your towel for a hand grenade wrapped in it the next time you’re in Bermuda... [2009-06-19 North Star Writers Group]

http://www.northstarwriters.com/gl082.htm

US - Lobbyist with ties to Obama helped transfer four detainees to Bermuda... [2009-06-30 The Hill]
           
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/lobbyist-with-ties-to-obama-helped-transfer-four-detainees-to-bermuda-2009-06-30.html

Lobbyist with ties to Obama helped transfer four detainees to Bermuda

By Kevin Bogardus

Posted: 06/30/09 07:14 PM [ET]

A law firm has removed a photograph from its website illustrating a lobbyist’s involvement in the transfer of four Guantánamo Bay detainees to Bermuda.

The photograph was on the website for Bingham McCutchen, a law firm representing — on a pro bono basis — four Chinese Uighurs held at Guantánamo.

The photograph, which is part of a press release highlighting the firm’s involvement with the detainees, shows Art Collins, a lobbyist for Bermuda’s government, standing with the released prisoners and their lawyers on an airport tarmac in Bermuda.

Collins is well-known in political circles and worked as a strategist during President Obama’s run for the White House. During the campaign and since taking office, Obama has sought to keep lobbyists at an arm’s length as part of an effort to change Washington’s culture.

After The Hill asked attorneys at Bingham about Collins’s involvement with the placement of the Uighurs in Bermuda, the firm removed the photo from its website. It replaced it with a photo of the four detainees stepping off their charter flight to Bermuda.

Collins, president and CEO of Public Private Partnership, declined to comment on the photograph or his work with the Uighurs.

“It is our policy to not comment on the service we provide to any of our public or private clientele,” Collins said to The Hill in an e-mail.

A spokeswoman for Bingham McCutchen declined to comment about the photograph switch.

A Bermudan government press official said settling the four Uighurs in Bermuda was not Collins’s idea, but that he helped facilitate the transfer.

“Art Collins does indeed do work for the government of Bermuda, but he did not propose the transfer of innocent detainees from Guantánamo Bay to Bermuda,” said Glenn Jones, press secretary to Bermuda Premier Dr. Ewart Brown. “He did, however, assist in facilitating this humanitarian gesture.”

A White House spokesman declined to comment for this story.

Accepting the detainees was considered a diplomatic plus for Bermuda, though Bermudan officials have insisted they received nothing in return. Obama said earlier this month that he was “grateful” to the country for taking in the former prisoners.

Bermuda could have something to gain from being in the administration’s good graces, as the White House has targeted Bermuda in the past for tax issues. According to a May 4 fact sheet put out by the White House, the country is identified as a major tax haven for U.S. corporations, which the administration plans to eliminate.

Besides serving as a strategist for Obama during the then-Illinois senator’s presidential run last year, Collins also served as a public liaison for the administration’s transition team. Additionally, Collins was a senior adviser to Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) during his 2004 White House run, and serves as treasurer for the Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute.

Collins’s agreement to represent Bermuda is worth $200,00 and lasts a year from April 1, according to the contract filed with the Justice Department. Collins is working on “strengthening the U.S. relationship with the foreign principal,” according to the contract.

The Uighurs held at Guantánamo Bay have been a political hot potato for the administration. Lawmakers have prevented their placement in the U.S., and other countries have been reluctant to accept them, partly out of fear of angering China.

China sees the Uighurs, who were cleared years ago of being enemy combatants by the U.S. government, as hostile and it is believed they would face certain persecution and even torture by Chinese authorities.

Bermuda’s acceptance of the detainees has been praised by government officials and human-rights organizations.

The move to accept the detainees, however, triggered consternation from another ally, the United Kingdom. The British, as the head of the commonwealth, were upset that they were not consulted in advance by either the American or Bermudan governments regarding the transfer.

Outside of Collins’s firm, Bermuda has a small clutch of lobbyists working on its behalf in Washington, including Darlene Richeson, a former Verizon lobbyist. The country also employs Patton Boggs, with Rodney Slater, the former Clinton administration Transportation secretary, leading the account, according to Justice Department records. Bermuda’s contracts suggest its lobbying team’s primary focus is on tax and regulatory issues.

--

© 2009 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

Bermuda - U.S. Secretary of State Thanks, Praises Bermuda... [2009-07-13 SFCN]

http://sflcn.com/story.php?id=6761

Monday, July 13, 2009

U.S. Secretary of State Thanks, Praises Bermuda

HAMILTON, Bermuda - Bermuda's Premier Dr. Ewart Brown has received a letter from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanking Bermuda for the decision to accept and resettle four innocent Uighurs formally detained at Guantanamo Bay. Secretary Clinton also praised Bermuda’s international leadership on the issue.

She wrote: “I want to extend my sincerest thanks to you and the Bermudian government for resettling four Uighur Guantanamo Bay detainees. I recognize the many difficulties associated with this humanitarian effort, both at home and abroad; I hope that your courageous action will inspire others to step forward and join us in the ongoing effort to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. Indeed, Bermuda’s leadership significantly advanced that effort.”

Secretary Clinton joins other U.S. Congressional and Administration leaders in praising Bermuda for its humanitarian efforts including: President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Patrick Leahy, Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson and Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee Chairman and Ranking Member Bill Delahunt and Dana Rohrabacher.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reprieve and the Constitution Project are among the human rights organizations that have publicly praised Bermuda’s humanitarian gesture.

“The international community has responded overwhelmingly in favor of Bermuda’s humanitarian decision,” said Premier Brown. “I am proud of the international leadership we have shown on this issue. I note Italy, Portugal and member states of the European Union have all announced plans to do as we have done in Bermuda.

“Clearly being small does not mean we can not lead. On this issue, we have led.”

--

© 2009 SouthFloridaCaribbeanNews.com

And I just want to say to Hillary and all those fantastic true leaders of the free world.... we squeezed 4 into 21 sq miles. How many can you fit into the US. And I'm not just talking about the one's you locked up in Gitmo. I'm talking about all those that will be flooding into Afghanistan trying to flee the Chinese crack down....

Pray tell?

US - U.S. helped Chinese interrogate Uighurs at Guantanamo... [2009-07-16 McClatchy]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/world/story/72000.html

Interesting that they didn't want to be photographed whilst at Guantanamo. One wonders whether the pictures taken here in Bermuda, have helped - or hindered.

Norway - Misleading coverage when dealing with the release of detainees to the "paradise islands..." [2009-07-17 The Guardian]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/17/sami-al-haj-al-jazeera-guantanamo-bay-journalist

Britain - Guantanamo row may halt Queen’s visit to Bermuda... [2009-07-19 Sunday Times]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6719190.ece

July 19, 2009

Guantanamo row may halt Queen’s visit to Bermuda

David Leppard

THE Foreign Office is threatening to cancel a state visit by the Queen to Bermuda after a row with the island over its “unacceptable” decision to give sanctuary to four former inmates of Guantanamo Bay.

The boycott is being considered after Bermuda infuriated David Miliband, the foreign secretary, by allowing the four men, all Chinese Muslim Uighurs, to stay on what is an overseas British territory.

The move followed a secret deal struck between Washington and the Bermudans. It was carried out without consulting Britain or the island’s governor.

Miliband protested to Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, about the pact. He told her the move was “invalid” because it breached Bermuda’s constitution, under which the UK has control over the island’s foreign and security policy.

The Uighurs are Muslim separatists from Xinjiang province. They had fled to Afghanistan in 2001 to escape Chinese oppression and were detained after they went to Pakistan.

Their arrival in Bermuda last month sparked an angry response from Sir Richard Gozney, the island’s governor. He summoned Ewart Brown, the Bermudan prime minister, for a dressing down.

The men’s sudden appearance surprised MI5, which is monitoring a Bermudan security assessment to establish whether the Uighurs represent a continuing terrorist threat.

The Uighurs had spent seven years inside America’s high security prison in Cuba, alongside other Al-Qaeda suspects, accused of being enemy combatants after they were turned in by Pakistani villagers.

Buckingham Palace had agreed in principle for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to go to Bermuda this autumn to mark the 400th anniversary of its settlement by shipwrecked British sailors. This decision is being reviewed following the Guantanamo move.

“It’s a big issue which is being considered alongside the usual issues in deciding whether the Queen should visit,” said a senior official. The Foreign Office declined to comment on the trip.

Bermuda’s decision to accept the former detainees sparked street protests among some of its 60,000 people. They accused Brown of being a “dictator” and of harbouring terrorists.

The four men have been cleared of taking up arms against America but plans to resettle them in the United States caused a furore.

Conchita Ming, chairman of the Bermuda 2009 committee, said she was still awaiting confirmation of the royal visit. “We are keeping our fingers and toes crossed,” she said. The Irish government is in the process of taking two Guantanamo Bay detainees to assist in efforts to close the prison. A delegation will interview two Uzbek inmates this week.

-

Comments:

Farrukh Imran wrote:
A boycott because innocent men, detained illegally, rendered across borders illegally, were released and given sanctuary? I'm beginning to question how accurate the title 'Great' Britain actually is with such political posturing.
July 18, 2009 10:15 PM BST


-

RELATED LINKS:

Police investigate torture claims against UK agents
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article6683391.ece

First Guantanamo detainee arrives in US
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6462293.ece

--

Copyright 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.

I am not a royalist, for a number of reasons. That said, I hope HMQ does not come as proposed.

The thought of certain people feigning delight, is enough to make me throw up!

US - For Diplomat Daniel Fried, One Tough Sales Job... [2009-07-20 WSJ]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124804889570763883.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

JULY 20, 2009

For Diplomat Fried, One Tough Sales Job

By EVAN PEREZ

WASHINGTON -- If President Barack Obama is to meet his goal of closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay in the next six months, Daniel Fried will have to play a big role.

The career State Department diplomat has become a veritable door-to-door salesman with what he readily tells associates is the "miserable job" of shopping detainees the U.S. would like to resettle in other countries.

Mr. Fried's travels include far-flung islands and big European allies, but he is still struggling to find places for some 40 detainees whose dossiers he lugs from country to country. He is hampered by congressional action that has blocked the U.S. from taking even a handful of detainees as a show of sincerity.

The U.S. has declared these 40 detainees aren't dangerous and doesn't plan to try them either in federal court or in a military commission. It would be up to the country that takes in a detainee to decide what to do with him.

Spain, Italy and Portugal have agreed to accept a total of up to 11 detainees -- although the details are still being worked out -- matching the number repatriated or resettled in third countries since the start of the Obama administration. Several other countries are also negotiating to accept detainees, according to a government official.

Mr. Fried's globe-trotting has put him in odd situations. He was recently in the island nation of Palau, where he was negotiating a deal to move a group of Chinese Uighur detainees. He departed from Palau late at night for the Australian capital of Canberra, but his plane had to stop for several hours in Darwin, Australia, because the airport in Canberra didn't open until 5:30 a.m.

Last month, he stood in the pitch black of night on a tarmac at Guantanamo to hand over four Uighurs to the government of Bermuda. He boarded a Bermudan-chartered plane and flew along with the joyful detainees to their new home, only to see the transfer set off a diplomatic incident with Britain, Bermuda's colonial ruler.

"Dan has taken on one of the most difficult jobs in the government, and he has already shown through his effectiveness that there is no better person for it," said Attorney General Eric Holder.

If Mr. Fried is unable to find a home for all of the 40 detainees, the U.S. could face some unpalatable options: keeping the men at Guantanamo beyond Mr. Obama's deadline, releasing them on U.S. soil, or holding them in the U.S. on shaky legal grounds.

Mr. Fried's view is that if he and his team can't solve the whole problem, at least they can shrink it, according to a person familiar with his thinking.

The 56-year-old Mr. Fried, a former assistant secretary for European affairs, is tapping a 30-year career's worth of contacts as he and five staffers attempt to use diplomacy to resettle detainees once labeled by the U.S. as "the worst of the worst."

Separately, the U.S. is pursuing talks with Saudi Arabia over taking in about 100 Yemenis. They represent the largest nationality at the prison on the U.S. naval base on the southeastern tip of Cuba, which has 229 detainees. The U.S. is concerned that the relatively unstable government of Yemen wouldn't be able to keep tabs on Yemeni detainees sent there.

U.S. officials are working against time. In addition to resettling detainees cleared for release, the administration is seeking to restart military commissions for other detainees under new rules. Still other detainees may face criminal charges in U.S. civilian courts or be held in indefinite detention.

Lawmakers, including many Democrats, are growing cautious about closing Guantanamo and have set up barriers including a requirement for 15-day notice before detainees are moved from there.

That means deals such as one in June with Bermuda likely couldn't happen again. China is discouraging countries from accepting the Chinese Muslims, wanted by Beijing for allegedly being members of a separatist group.

If the administration had been able to bring to the U.S. even one or two detainees, most likely Uighurs, Mr. Fried's team probably could have completed deals to move several more detainees to European countries, according to people familiar with the negotiations.

European diplomats have told Mr. Fried that the U.S. stance has made it more politically treacherous for their governments to accept detainees.

Mr. Fried was inside the White House on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists unleashed their attacks on the U.S. A specialist on Central and Eastern Europe, he held a National Security Council job.

After joining the foreign service in 1977, Mr. Fried served in posts in Russia, Yugoslavia and Poland.

In last year's war between Russia and Georgia, he sided with Bush administration hawks including Vice President Dick Cheney in arguing for stronger backing of Georgia, a U.S. ally. "Russia doesn't deserve a sphere of influence," Mr. Fried argued, according to a person familiar with his thinking.

"He's not a wilting flower by any stretch, both in policies and demeanor," says a former colleague, Juan Zarate, former deputy national security adviser to President George W. Bush. "He has deep credibility and longstanding contacts, and he's very convincing."

-

Write to Evan Perez at evan.perez@wsj.com

--

©2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

"If Mr. Fried is unable to find a home for all of the 40 detainees, the U.S. could face some unpalatable options: keeping the men at Guantanamo beyond Mr. Obama's deadline, releasing them onto US soil, or holding them in the U.S. on shaky legal grounds".

Dear oh dear oh dear. Well - we can't have that can we? That would never do now would it? I mean - politicians would be in an uproar, and we can't have that. Plus - the USA is such a tiny little place, they could never find a couple of square miles to put these people into. Could they?

Not forgetting - the US would be a "less safe place"...if you believe the President that is.

Bermuda - Queen bypasses Bermuda’s celebration of four centuries of colonial history... [2009-07-28 The Times]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6729666.ece

July 28, 2009

Queen bypasses Bermuda’s celebration of four centuries of colonial history

James Bone in New York

The Queen is skipping today’s celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Britain’s oldest colony after a row with the island’s pro-independence leader.

Bermuda is commemorating the shipwreck on July 28, 1609, of the Sea Venture, the flagship of a fleet sent to resupply the Jamestown colony in America.

Sailors, including the crew of the visiting Royal Navy destroyer HMS Manchester, will re-enact the 150 settlers rowing ashore on what is now St Catherine’s Beach to start four centuries of continuous settlement of the mid-Atlantic island.

Neither Queen Elizabeth II, the island’s sovereign, nor Ewart Brown, the elected pro-independence Premier, however, will be present for the celebrations.

The Queen was invited and had been considering a visit but decided to skip the festivities after Britain clashed with the island’s elected Government in June over its decision to resettle four former Guantánamo Bay prisoners without asking Britain’s permission.

The four Muslim ethnic Uighurs from China have been transferred to guest-worker housing and are learning English with a tutor. They are trying to get jobs but are all currently recovering from a bout of flu.

A Palace source said that the Queen had no immediate plans to visit Bermuda.

She is, however, due to attend a Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago in November and may travel elsewhere at that time — after the Bermuda celebrations are over.

Dr Brown, a black nationalist, left Bermuda at the weekend to go on holiday, a government spokesman said, insisting that the timing was just a coincidence.

Instead, the celebrations will be attended by the British Governor, Sir Richard Gozney, and the acting premier, Derrick Burgess, the Minister of Works.

Bermuda, a 21 sq mile archipelago of about 138 islands, was discovered by the Spanish explorer Juan de Bermúdez in 1503. The islands were not inhabited, however, until the Sea Venture grounded on a reef more than a century later during an epic voyage that effectively saved the British presence in America.

The Sea Venture set sail from Plymouth on June 2, 1609, at the head of a seven-ship fleet sent to resupply the Virginia Company’s Jamestown colony, established two years earlier.

A “dreadful and hideous” Atlantic storm scattered the ships and left the 300-ton Sea Venture, making her maiden transatlantic trip, leaking badly.

When all seemed lost the captain deliberately ran the ship aground on a reef at the eastern tip of Bermuda, rescuing all aboard, including the ship’s dog. Shakespeare’s The Tempest is believed to have been inspired by an account of the shipwreck by a survivor, William Strachey.

The Sea Venture’s crew spent ten months in Bermuda building two vessels — Deliverance and Patience — before continuing their voyage to Jamestown.

They arrived with a cargo of pork from wild pigs on Bermuda to find the Jamestown settlers starving, and ready to abandon the fledgeling colony.

The Sea Venture left two crew members behind on Bermuda — Christopher Carter, a religious zealot who had been temporarily banished to one of the islands, and Robert Waters, who had been pardoned after killing a crewmate with a shovel in a brawl.

“The whole thing is a fascinating story,” said David Frith, a descendant of Carter who still lives on the island. “Most people are oblivious to the fact that Bermuda changed the way the Western world began because the vessels going on to Virginia basically saved that colony.”

Mr Frith, 65, a former banker, is now the official town crier of St George’s, the closest town to where the Sea Venture landed.

-

RELATED LINKS

Guantanamo row may halt royal Bermuda visit
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6719190.ece

I was a Guantánamo prisoner
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article6725418.ece

FCO fury over Guantánamo four in Bermuda
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article6480320.ece

--

Copyright 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.

I am delighted at the decision. I think I said elsewhere, that the thought of this Government feigning respect and pleasure at the visit, is enough you make me barf.

Can't wait for any spin on this one. "PLP saddened at news Queen not attending".  :slap:

I agree Martin.  However, I think they will try to play the snubbed by the Monarchy line.

I didn't know this interesting part about the history: "The Sea Venture left two crew members behind on Bermuda — Christopher Carter, a religious zealot who had been temporarily banished to one of the islands, and Robert Waters, who had been pardoned after killing a crewmate with a shovel in a brawl."

Somehow, having Carter and Waters as the first 'Bermudians' seems to put everything into perspective!

Greetings, alll...

And with less than a post-operative male-to-female gender-variant tongue in cheek, Mike... the makings of Bermuda's first "Oh so gay a scenario!" too...

B+...

Mike...

You may well be right. Strangely perhaps, but there will be those of the older generation who will be disappointed, irrespective of their political affiliation.

B+...

Now we all know that 'gay' in those days had a different connotation. LOL.

US - "I wonder if Bermuda can help," Premier Ewart Brown offered... [2009-08-02 Miami Herald]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/v-fullstory/story/1167861.html (http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/v-fullstory/story/1167861.html)

Sunday, 08.02.09

Emptying Guantánamo prison camps, one deal at a time

Despite the determination of U.S. officials and the goodwill of some foreign nations, President Barack Obama's plan to close the Guantánamo prison camps by January still has a long way to go.

BY CAROL ROSENBERG
CROSENBERG@MIAMIHERALD.COM

WASHINGTON -- On May 20, the premier of Bermuda was paying his respects at the White House when he offered a lifeline to the Obama administration's struggle to find countries for some of Guantánamo's most stigmatized detainees.

"I wonder if Bermuda can help," Premier Ewart Brown offered.

Three weeks later, four former prisoners were smiling, posing for photographers at a Bermuda beach -- a freeze-frame moment capping rare collaboration between a U.S. ally, attorneys and an American administration determined to close the Pentagon's prison camps in Cuba by Jan. 22.

Bermuda's hospitality illustrates how much the administration is relying on outsiders to make good on President Barack Obama's mandate to empty the prison camps at Guantánamo Bay.

And, how the U.S. attorneys who fought the Bush administration tooth-and-nail on its detention policies are now emerging as key partners in the effort to craft safe solutions for some of the men.

A case in point came this past week from the federal courts.

Long before Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle ordered the U.S. government to free a young Afghan named Mohammed Jawad, his military lawyers arranged with UNICEF and the Afghan Human Rights Commission to get him education and support, once back home with his mother.

Defense lawyers argue he was 12, not 17, at his capture. They wanted to show an Obama task force that "we had everything in place to ensure a smooth transition to civilian life," said Air Force Reserve Maj. David Frakt.

The post-release program was put together by Frakt, a college professor doing reserve duty, a Marine lawyer who traveled to Afghanistan and a Navy reserves lawyer, a lieutenant commander.

A total of 13 detainees have left Guantánamo since Obama took office. Six were resettled in Bermuda, Britain and France, not their native countries; five went to their homelands of Chad, Iraq and Saudi Arabia; and a Yemeni went home dead, an apparent suicide victim. The 13th went to New York for trial as an al Qaeda co-conspirator.

About 230 remain. Lawyers estimate 50 of them need sanctuary in third countries, for fear of torture if returned home. Also, the federal courts are reviewing the detainees' cases -- and ordering that more be let go.

About 100 Guantánamo captives today are Yemeni. But the U.S. and Yemen can't agree on how to rehabilitate those the U.S. alleges answered Osama bin Laden's call to jihad in their teens and 20s.

It all falls on the State Department to negotiate each repatriation or transfer elsewhere. Ambassador Daniel Fried, who had been responsible for European affairs, heads the effort as special envoy for Guantánamo closure.

"The Bermuda thing was unusual and is almost certain not to be repeated," said an administration official with knowledge about the State Department's role. "This is not easy stuff. We have to be methodical and we have to act with dispatch."

The official was allowed to speak to The Miami Herald on condition he not be named.

Said White House spokesman Benjamin LaBolt: "The administration is engaged in a dialogue with our allies around the world about the need to close Guantánamo in order to strengthen our security and take a propaganda rallying cry off the table for our adversaries."

So for the moment, the June 11 transfer to Bermuda was the last success: Four Muslim Uighurs from China, picked up in Afghanistan and held for years at Guantánamo, moved to the British colonial paradise of white sandy beaches.

Since then, Congress has prohibited the use of federal funds for transfers and now requires detailed notification two weeks before future moves.

Bermuda provided the plane that flew the Uighurs to freedom, sparking a brief row with Britain over whether it had been properly informed. Also aboard the Gulfstream jet were White House General Counsel Gregory Craig, State Department envoy Fried and two attorneys from the Boston firm Bingham McCutchen, Sabin Willett and Susan Baker Manning.

Bingham lawyers had for years fought the Uighurs' case in the courts and media while quietly approaching what Willett described as "dozens" of countries to take the men.

None bit. In the process, Willett taught countless journalists how to pronounce Uighur -- wee-ghur.

But other transfer deals that simmered during the Bush years came to fruition once Obama announced plans to close the camps.

Consider Lakhdar Boumediene, an Algerian made famous because his is the first name on a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision on Guantánamo.

Now 42, Boumediene lives in the south of France, an idea that jelled over a March 10 lunch at the French Embassy in Washington.

Attorney Rob Kirsch drank Perrier. Two diplomats drank wine. A tuxedoed waiter served veal while Kirsch told his client's story:

Captured in Sarajevo. Taken to Guantánamo by way of the U.S. base at Incirlik, Turkey. Accused and cleared of an unrealized plot to attack the U.S. embassy in Bosnia Herzegovina. Fought and won the right for all Guantánamo captives to have their cases heard by civilian courts in Boumediene v. Bush.

"In my five years on the case, it was the best working meal I ever had," Kirsch said.

On April 1, he got a call from a French diplomat who said that President Nicolas Sarkozy had agreed to take in Boumediene. Two days later, in Strasbourg, Sarkozy announced after a bilateral meeting with Obama that France would resettle a Guantánamo detainee.

"I was delivering an extremely low-risk, high-profile prisoner and that I thought that would be attractive to President Sarkozy," Kirsch said.

On its own, Boumediene's legal team lobbied France's equivalent of a CIA director, Bernard Bajolet. Bajolet was French ambassador to Sarajevo in 2002, when Boumediene was hustled off to Guantánamo, and had condemned it then.

The French and Algerian governments cooperated to get Boumediene's wife and daughters travel papers to leave Algeria, something that would usually require a husband or father to accompany them. They were in France to greet him May 15.

Kirsch and the captive worked together between Boston and the prison's Camp Iguana to write a formal request to Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.

It was all exchanged by computer and shuttled between Boston and Boumediene's barbed-wire encircled wooden hut by prison camp staff, so Boumediene was able to leave Guantánamo with travel papers from the French -- using a photo downloaded from Wikipedia.

"It showed what would happen if they cooperate with the lawyers," Kirsch said of the State Department, "how easily they could get that place emptied."

Earlier this month, an administration official said, a lawyer from the New York Center for Constitutional Rights met special envoy Fried's staffers at the State Department. The law group joined European and U.S. human rights groups in championing the cause of detainees during the Bush administration.

"We could only do so much without the U.S. government working with us," says CCR attorney Gitanjali Gutierrez. "They're a partner at the table now, and I think that's a good thing."

Lawyers from the London-based human rights group Reprieve took two trips to N'Djamena, Chad, in 2007 and 2008, to interest the government there in the case of Mohammed Gharani. His lawyers say he was 14 at capture, and grew his first beard behind the razor wire in Cuba.

Born in Saudi Arabia to guest worker parents, he went to Pakistan as a citizen of Chad to study the Koran. The kingdom didn't want him back even after he was cleared of terror suspicions at Guantánamo.

So Reprieve lawyers traveled to Africa. "The pitch was, 'This is a national of yours. He's never been charged with a crime," recalls attorney Zachary Katznelson. "He's been abused . . . racially abused, psychologically abused, physically abused, cut off from his family. He's the only Chadian national there and he needs your help."

Chad eventually contacted the State Department and asked for his return, says Katznelson.

But it didn't go quietly. The young man made headlines when a prison-approved family phone call to an uncle turned into a recorded chat with an al Jazeera reporter -- the only broadcast interview with a detainee in the prison camp's history. The military says captives can't talk to journalists, citing the Geneva Conventions.

The tactic made some lawyers wince. But Guantánamo attorneys have long argued their clients cases in the media, especially during the years when the Bush administration blocked them from the courts.

A father-and-son team from Boston, Michael Mone and Michael Mone Jr., worked with Irish-American contacts, Amnesty International and lobbied parliament members and media in Ireland to get their client's dossier before the Foreign Office in 2007.

The son traveled to Dublin in June 2008 and told government representatives from the foreign and justice departments that Uzbek Oybek Jabbarov, 31, wanted to leave Guantánamo to become a sheep herder in Ireland.

"We knew Ireland would be a good place for Oybek. We worked very hard to lay the groundwork with the Irish government. They have a strong commitment to human rights. We knew he'd be treated fairly," Mone Jr. said.

"Plus, he speaks English. There's no language barrier."

Irish diplomats interviewed detainees at Guantánamo and announced last week that it had agreed to take in two men, reported to be from Uzbekistan. Now it's up to the State Department's Fried to seal the deal.

"He's The Closer," Mone said. "And God love him."

-

Related Content:

In-depth Guantánamo coverage
http://www.miamiherald.com/guantanamo/ (http://www.miamiherald.com/guantanamo/)

After Guantánamo | What's Next?
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/guantanamo/globe/v-fullstory/story/1015895.html (http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/guantanamo/globe/v-fullstory/story/1015895.html)

Obama outlines plans for Guantánamo detainees
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/v-fullstory/story/1059440.html (http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/v-fullstory/story/1059440.html)

Obama still deciding how to prosecute 9/11 accused
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/v-fullstory/story/1064986.html (http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/v-fullstory/story/1064986.html)

--

Copyright 2009 Miami Herald Media Co.

This may sound incredibly unchairtable - if only because we may be dealing with innocent people - but I am getting kind of tired at the sudden amount of "feel the lurve" that is going around the world, simply because the US didn't want these people.

And on a matter of detail in the article..."Six were resettled in Bermuda, Britain and France, not their native countries". So - Bermuda = 4 (22 sq mls)...and I guess the other two countries just managed to squeeze one in!

Bermuda - The Go-Between: Interpreting Life in Bermuda for Freed Gitmo Prisoners... [2009-08-05 WSJ]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124943066488606293.html (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124943066488606293.html)

AUGUST 05, 2009

The Go-Between: Interpreting Life in Bermuda for Freed Gitmo Prisoners
Ms. Abbas Speaks Uighur but Translates More Than Words; Explaining Al Sharpton

By PAULO PRADA

HAMILTON, Bermuda -- Rushan Abbas climbed the stone steps of Camden, the official residence of Bermuda's premier, earlier this summer and led three island newcomers into a stately receiving room where the Rev. Al Sharpton was waiting.

"Thank you for your valuable time," said Ms. Abbas, after interpreting Rev. Sharpton's greeting to the three men into Uighur, an obscure language of central Asia.

Being Uighur Muslims from western China -- and having spent the past seven years as prisoners at the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- the men really had no idea who the American civil-rights activist is.

(http://i29.tinypic.com/2vwwlkn.gif)
Rushan Abbas

The task of explaining many such mysteries to the freed Uighurs has fallen to Ms. Abbas, a 42-year-old former office worker and mother of three in Fresno, Calif. Since 2002, her rare combination of language skills, passports and Uighur activism has made Ms. Abbas the primary link between Guantanamo's Uighur detainees and a world far removed from the Afghan hamlets where they were living just before the U.S. military captured them early in its hunt for al Qaeda.

The men say they were passing through the region at the time after fleeing China, where Uighurs, a people of Turkic descent, have long been an oppressed minority. In early July, clashes between Uighurs and residents from China's Han majority led to 197 deaths in Xinjiang province, which is home to most Chinese Uighurs.

Ms. Abbas had never worked as an interpreter before Sept. 11, 2001. She has since gone from a sales job in California, through the barbed wire of Guantanamo, to the private jet that Bermuda chartered to retrieve the Uighurs after the U.S. government freed them June 11. In the process, Ms. Abbas, a native Uighur and a naturalized U.S. citizen, went from helping the Defense Department interrogate prisoners to working for their release.

"She got into this expecting vicious, throat-slitting terrorists," says Sabin Willett, a Boston lawyer who helped free the Uighurs. "Now she's helping to demythologize those men."

After the Uighurs were released, Ms. Abbas spent two weeks easing their transition. Now, after a recent move from Fresno to Washington, D.C., she is on standby to fly to Palau, in case a deal is finalized with the Pacific island nation to accept 13 remaining Guantanamo Uighurs.

"I have to explain almost everything," says Ms. Abbas. The visit from Rev. Sharpton, she explained to the men and to a fourth colleague who didn't make the meeting, was a show of support for Bermuda's government, which had caught political flak for accepting them.

In addition to interpreting, Ms. Abbas coordinated everything from meals to visits from Bermudan lawyers and government employees who are helping them find homes, English classes and work. On Monday, the Uighurs began jobs as landscapers at the state-owned Port Royal Golf Course.

(http://i26.tinypic.com/10hpnd4.jpg) Associated Press
Ex-detainee Abdullah Abdulqadir, left, with interpreter Rushan Abbas in June.

As they settled in at the oceanside guesthouse where they first arrived, Ms. Abbas baked bread, fried flounder, and made halwa, a sweet confection. "She's our translator, our assistant, and our chef," says Abdullah Abdulqadir, 30, the most jovial of the four men.

Ms. Abbas was born in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang province and the city where the recent violence erupted. Her father, a scientist, befriended an American researcher who invited Ms. Abbas to study in the U.S. once she had finished a biology degree at Xinjiang University. In 1989, she moved to Prosser, Wash., studied plant pathology at Washington State University, fell in love with a professor and married. Over the next seven years, Ms. Abbas had three children, became a U.S. citizen and grew active in Uighur-American circles.

In 1998, when U.S.-funded Radio Free Asia launched a Uighur language service, Ms. Abbas became the sole female voice on the channel, communicating world news to western China and other Uighur areas. In 2000, she quit radio to work in sales for an exporter of animal feed.

Then, as she recalls it, one Saturday morning a few months after the Sept. 11 attacks, the phone rang. "I've been looking for you for weeks," the voice on the line said.

It was an executive at Titan Corp., now owned by L-3 Communications Corp., which was providing interpreters for the U.S. military. The company needed her in Guantanamo, where a small group of captured Uighurs had recently been shipped.

Three weeks later, she was in Cuba, in fatigues, interpreting the interrogation of a Uighur detainee. After the interview, the detainee told interrogators he would like to speak with Ms. Abbas. "You are Rushan Abbas," the prisoner said. He and others recognized her voice from Radio Free Asia.

A U.S. government official said that some of the Uighurs before their capture lived at times in suspected terrorist training camps. Investigators, though, never had enough evidence to prove they were indeed "enemy combatants," the official said.

Frustrated with what she describes as fruitless and repetitive interviews, Ms. Abbas resigned from her Guantanamo post in 2002, and returned to another sales job in California.

In early 2003, the military transferred the Uighurs to a medium-security portion of Guantanamo. Since then, the U.S. has been unable to free most of them. They can't return to China, where the government considers them separatists. China has warned other countries not to accept them.

In 2005, a group of U.S. law firms launched a pro bono effort to free the Uighurs, but had trouble communicating with the detainees. "Get Rushan," one of the detainees told the lawyers.

Over the past three years, Ms. Abbas made more than 20 trips to Guantanamo. She left her job and $65,000 salary and now free-lances for the law firms.

Last October, a federal judge ruled that the U.S. must release the 17 Uighurs who remained at Guantanamo. The four in Bermuda were going to be sent in May to live in Virginia, but local and state officials protested.

Once Bermuda accepted them, Ms. Abbas helped the men understand that they would no longer be treated as prisoners. "I thought we would still be wearing shackles," says Salahidin Abdulahat, 32, recalling their surprise when they stepped into the chartered jet and saw couches, a phone and a microwave.

Before leaving Bermuda for home, Ms. Abbas made sure the Uighurs had some things they needed to adjust to a free life in the West. "I really liked the Wii," said Mr. Abdulahat, boasting how well he played a virtual bowling game the men had in their final week at Guantanamo. Ms. Abbas interpreted. Within seconds, a Bermuda government worker across the table was on the phone pricing gadgets.

-

Write to Paulo Prada at paulo.prada@wsj.com

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page A1

--

©2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Before leaving Bermuda for home, Ms. Abbas made sure the Uighurs had some things they needed to adjust to a free life in the West. "I really liked the Wii," said Mr. Abdulahat, boasting how well he played a virtual bowling game the men had in their final week at Guantanamo. Ms. Abbas interpreted. Within seconds, a Bermuda government worker across the table was on the phone pricing gadgets.
-----------------------------------------

I am feeling far too cynical to respond sensibly. Walk away!!

US - US 'should take terror detainees…' [2009-09-16 BBC News]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8260081.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8260081.stm)

Page last updated at 23:13 GMT, Wednesday, 16 September 2009 00:13 UK

US 'should take terror detainees'

By Jon Manel
Reporter, BBC Radio 4's PM programme

Daniel Fried: "The average Guantanamo detainee...is not a hardened terrorist, not an organiser"

The man officially responsible for closing Guantanamo Bay says more detainees could be resettled worldwide if some were transferred to the US.

Daniel Fried is the special envoy for closing the detention centre and is in charge of persuading other countries to take in detainees.

He says his job is miserable because he is "cleaning up a problem".

He also revealed he was reprimanded by the UK over his decision to send four detainees to Bermuda.

Daniel Fried has one of the most important and toughest tasks in the US government.

In an exclusive first interview since his appointment, Mr Fried told the BBC about the successes and failures of his first six months in the job.


'Huge problem'

Ordering the closure of the detention camps at Guantanamo was one of US President Barack Obama's first acts in office.
   
Saying it would send "an unmistakable signal", he set his staff the task of closing the facility by 22 January 2009. However, predictably, it is proving to be difficult.

Working out what to do with the remaining detainees is "a huge problem and a complicated one," says Mr Fried.

So far, the number being held there has been reduced by just 16 - and one of those committed suicide. There are now 226 left.

The administration is reviewing each detainee's case in order to decide which prisoners should be prosecuted, which should freed and which transferred to another country.

Ambassador Fried is dealing with those who are "cleared for release" by a special task force or by the courts.

Hungary is the latest country which has agreed to take a detainee. Other nations which have already done so or have pledged to help include France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Belgium.

One of Mr Fried's successes was the deal he struck with Bermuda, which took four Guantanamo prisoners, all of them Chinese Uighurs - an ethnic minority from north-west China. However, Bermuda is a British overseas territory and Britain was not informed until the last minute.

"The British government, it is fair to say, cannot be considered part of the deal," Mr Fried says.

"This was worked out between the Americans and the Bermudans. I will say that I've been admonished by the British government in very clear terms."


'No Plan Bs'

He defended the agreement with Bermuda, however.

"We are very grateful to the Bermudan government and the behaviour of the four Uighurs has been exemplary, which really bolsters our contention that they were not any kind of threat."

"These are four people who are enjoying freedom who would otherwise be in Guantanamo."


Mr Fried's tough job has not been helped by the decision of Congress to block the transfer of any cleared detainees from Guantanamo to the US mainland.

He says he will not criticise Congress, but told me: "It is fair to say, as just an objective statement, that the US could resettle more detainees [worldwide], had we been willing to take in some."

"But I also have to state that parliamentarians in Europe and the US have raised questions about security - and we have to respect those opinions."

Mr Fried said he was confident - but would not guarantee - that the 22 January deadline would be met.

"President Obama's timetable is what we've got, we don't have Plan Bs, we're looking at that timetable. We've got a lot of work to do, we need help getting this done, and we're going to be working hard at it."

"But you're not going to have Guantanamo II. Whatever solution we come up with, it will be one based firmly on the rule of law and transparency."

--

© MMIX The BBC

Britain - Goldsmith critical of Guantanamo policy… [2009-10-08 The Independent]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/goldsmith-critical-of-guantanamo-policy-1799295.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/goldsmith-critical-of-guantanamo-policy-1799295.html)

http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d9a42f30030000&sectionId=60 (http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d9a42f30030000&sectionId=60)

What did Ewart think that just cuz he circumvented policy and boldly overstepped his authority that the situation would just be swept under the rug like all other bullsh!t in bermuda?

And i like how he spins it like "oh, it was said by a UBP MP, well then it's suspect."  THE GOVERNOR HAS PUBLICLY STATED THAT WHAT YOU DID WAS WRONG YOU CLOWN!  Jesus, he really is only concerned with his "agenda", and with his head so far up his own ass he won't even be aware that's he's incinerating Bermuda's economy down at Tynes Bay.   >:(

Does anyone else see this?!?!  or is it those damn crazy pills again...

CC

"Crazy pills" ? Hey man...pick your own. I got my own supplier.

Actually, I can tie my comments into this thread as well as "Oberdear".

They got this thraid going on about Dr. Brown addressing the Nation of the 15th October and they even have a booky doing odds.

It can only be about a few things but my first one would be that he is stepping down.

Second would be that the US has offered more money if we take some more Uighurs since the US won't allow any even to be considered till after 2010.

Third would be we are approaching the "Stealth" period of Tourism

Fourth would be the PGA Grand Slam is the begining of the "Stealth" period

Fifth would be the he's stepping down as Tourism Minister and handing it over too Tony Brannon

Sixth would be 'There will be a Future..without Care

Seventh would be Government is shutting down the Royal Gazette

Eighth would be Col. Burch is taking over command of the Bermuda regiment

Nineth would be AIG is bailing out Bermuda's debt

Tenth would be he got another bullet in the mail from Larry Burchall

Eleventh would be "I did not have sex with that...."

And on the Twelth day of Christmas my true love sent to me.........A bank account in the islands of Bimini.............

Gotta run...................

Her Majesty horn dee lyne Vat? Vat?  Rummy, you know better than to say "Vat Vat " too me. Will Ewart be there when I come to celebrate the islands 400th? " Your Majesty, he may, he may not but I know where you can find a good "CD"................................... :slap: :slap:

                                         ****BREAKING NOOZE****

Premier Dr. Brown has just confirmed from the Club House that he will not be taking part in next years Grand Slam. Surrounded by his four new caddies he stated that this will be his last Grand Slam. When pressed by RG reporter Mon-Sun as to why this would be his last the Premier stated "I have carried my bag of clubs for years. Knowone has helped me more than my four caddies. Too this I owe them much.

I have played well sometimes,  par sometimes, underhanded...I mean par. I deceived a few when their backs were turned. I kicked a few balls when I shouted "Look out for that tourist". Whilst others looked away I was able too finish the hole that others dug and be a champion of the game.

Even though I lost in China, I won in Hawaii, Turks and Caicos, the London Open, and the Washington Open Season.

In actual fact, I am still the person with the lowest score and remain the Mid Ocean closed course champion.

October 2010 will see me leave as I must let others try and attain the balls that have held me here amongst my pars. Just let me add a final word before....FORE...........................................

*&^$#&&^$# My caddies and I have reached a settlement re pay and if they can follow me next year to keep my game going well.

I told them and I promised them that....................

"Wherever Uighurs go I go".. Thanks and may the balls be with you........................"

Well, according to the news today a few more are going to "Palau". Wonder how much they get. Wonder how much we got......wonder......

In a while, after the closure of Guantanamo Bay, detainees will be permitted to be brought to the US.

The hitch and mislead is, Guantanamor Bay will never close per sey. The infastructure with regards too detainees will but the US will never give up the land and it's base.

Tink about hit..................................

Gotta run.....Jimmy Buffet doing a song outside pen 12................................. ;)

China - US connivance of terrorists, double-standard act… [2009-11-06 Xinhua (ChinaView)]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/06/content_12397938.htm (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/06/content_12397938.htm)   

U.S. connivance of terrorists, double-standard act
www.chinaview.cn (http://www.chinaview.cn)

2009-11-06 00:21:05

by Xinhua writers

BEIJING, Nov. 05 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government recently sent six Chinese suspects of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement from a military prison at Guantanamo Bay to the Pacific island nation of Palau.

The short-sighted connivance was not only to the detriment of the interests of both China and the United States, it also was a blow to the international cause of antiterrorism.

The East Turkistan Islamic Movement, a group on the sanction list of the U.N. Security Council's 1267 Committee, has carried out a large number of violent terror attacks involving explosions, assassination, robbery, poisoning and arson in numerous countries since the 1990s.

The group which has an intimate relationship with al-Qaeda and the Taliban threatens stability and security in China and northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in particular, and poses general evil to the Asia-Pacific region and the world as a whole. Its terrorist qualities have been long universally affirmed by the international community.

However, the U.S. has adopted an ambiguous attitude toward such a notorious and crime-ridden terrorist group. Although the U.S., as early as 2002, classified the group as being closely related with the al-Qaeda, it labeled a number of group members arrested in Afghanistan "non-combatants" and made an abortive attempt to release them in the U.S. territory.

From 2006, the U.S. transferred some terror suspects to Albania and Bermuda, and now it has the new target Palau.

Huge sums of capital were indispensable to realize the transfers. According to U.S. media, only for Bermuda's acceptance of four terror suspects affiliated with the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, the U.S. government squandered 200 million U.S. dollars, which were naturally garnered from U.S. tax payers who have agonized over the 9-11 attack, one of the most severe terrorist acts in history.

A victim of terrorism, the United States endured its pain and launched all-out wars against atrocities against humans. Unfortunately, its double-standard action of freeing terror suspects may offset its strenuous anti-terror efforts.

The inadvisable act impaired mutual trust between nations and undermined the basis of international anti-terror cooperation. The transfer of the suspects to a third party in defiance of China's strong opposition and repeated request for their repatriation breached relevant resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and was a refusal of fulfilling international anti-terror obligations.

The unwise act may provide a second birth to the released terrorists, who may finally jeopardize U.S. interests by copying Osama Bin Laden's way of growing on western support and swerving back to bite hard at a later date. Who knows how the East Turkistan Islamic Movement's current pledge of faith in the Western world and the United States will mutate in the future.

The U.S.-initiated war against terror was never sluggish in the eight years since the collapse of the World Trade Center in New York. Nevertheless, terrorist acts still haunt or even surge periodically in many parts of the globe. Reflection on its anti-terror strategies and rectification of some errors appears to be a reasonable job for the United States.

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Editor: Yan

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©2009 Xinhua News Agency.