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17 GITMO Detainees to Palau

by Ostia | June 17, 2009 at 03:35 pm

187 views | 44 Recommendations | 6 comments

With 21000 residents Palau is one of the smallest states, nonetheless it agreed to accept 17 former Guantanamo detainees. The former detainees were already cleared for release four years ago yet so far noone was prepared to accept them for resettlement. An appeals court prevented there release into the US one year ago. In a legal limbo they had to remain in Guantanamo until a country would accept them.

The 17 are Chinese Muslim ethnic Uighurs and were held at Guantanamo for seven years in total, but are said to not be able to return to China as there are fears that they will face persecution and possible execution.

The US government sent requests to Albania and Germany without any success. In particular, Albania feared possible diplomatic repercussions with China. Now, after four years, Palau has agreed to accept all of them for resettlement. Palau is one of the only countries that does not recognize China but has diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Quote

In a statement on Wednesday Toribiong, the Palau president, said his country was "honoured and proud that the United States has asked Palau to assist with such a critical task". Palau's accommodation to accept the temporary resettlement of these detainees is a humanitarian gesture intended to help them be freed of any further unnecessary incarceration and to restart their lives in as normal a fashion as possible," he said.

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Paschen

at 17:27 on June 17th, 2009

They must be some major cash deal involved with this.

Ostia

at 17:36 on June 17th, 2009

In the video it says that the US government pledged US$ 200 million in aid for taking the detainees.

Paschen

at 18:49 on June 17th, 2009

Yes, I just watched the Video. Well that be 11.7 Million per person. Not bad.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 19:41 on June 17th, 2009

Thanks for this, Ostia. And in this article, U.S. Money May Have Swayed Palau to Take Uighur Gitmo Detainees.

albertacowpoke

at 19:55 on June 17th, 2009

It's amazing to me that no one in the North American Media is reporting this. Thanks for this article Ostia.

tikun

at 06:40 on June 18th, 2009

Millions of dollars per detainee has been paid to the government. I do not remember the exact amount but it was something like tens of thousands per resident. This is just as vile as sending nuclear waste to another country for $$$$. Naughty work from an administration that prides itself on being "enlightened".