Palau Island To Take In 17 Uighur Guantanamo Detainees

Seventeen Uighurs detained in Guantánamo may be heading to the island of Palau in the North Pacific. The 17 Uighurs from Western China have been stuck in Guantánamo since last year as the US tried to find a country that would take them.

The US asked approximately 100 countries to accept the Uighurs, but all refused because it could hurt relations with the Chinese government, who want the them sent back to China to stand trial as terrorists.

Palau, a small island in the North Pacific, has decided to defy China and take the Uighurs. If it happens, the Uighurs move to Palau would be the largest single transfer of Guantánamo prisoners.

The 17 Uighurs have been in a state of limbo since fall, when a federal district court ordered that they be released in the United States. An appeals court overturned the ruling.

So where is Palau? The island is a small archipelago 500 miles east of the Philippines and is one of the world's least populated countries. The series of eight tropical islands are known as a mecca for diving. It's also a tourism destination, serving as a home to several world-class resorts such as Palau Pacific Resort.

Palau was actually a US trust territory until it gained independence in 1994. It still receives significant foreign aid from the US.