[Peace-discuss] Obama Team At Guantanamo Talking To 17 Ethnic Uighurs Cleared In War On Terror

[Robert Naiman]

"The 1,000-or-so-strong American Uighur community, which mostly lives
near Washington, D.C.,, has offered to help resettle them on U.S.
soil. Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious leaders in Tallahassee,
which has not a single Uighur speaker, have likewise offered help for
three of the men."

Miami Herald
April 1, 2009
Pg. 5

Obama Team At Guantanamo Talking To 17 Ethnic Uighurs Cleared In War On Terror

By Carol Rosenberg

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVY BASE, Cuba -- In a prison-camp first, the Obama
administration on Tuesday dispatched members of a detainee review team
here to speak directly with 17 captives from China who were swept up
in the war on terror and ultimately cleared of being enemies of
America.

The six-member delegation included lawyers from the Justice, State and
Homeland Security departments, according to U.S. military sources, who
spoke on condition of anonymity because only the Justice Department
was allowed to officially disclose the mission.

They were to spend a minimum of one hour with each of the Uighur
captives (pronounced ``WEE-gur''), who are part of China's Muslim
minority and who risk religious persecution should they return to
their homeland.

Each was captured in Afghanistan in late 2001 and handed over to U.S. forces.

The tale of the curious Guantánamo captives from a largely unheard of
ethnic group captured the hearts of U.S. civil liberties lawyers, who
for years filed unlawful detention lawsuits.

None were commenting on this week's meetings, citing delicate negotiations.

The 1,000-or-so-strong American Uighur community, which mostly lives
near Washington, D.C.,, has offered to help resettle them on U.S.
soil. Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious leaders in Tallahassee,
which has not a single Uighur speaker, have likewise offered help for
three of the men.

-- 
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org