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U.S. in Deal to Return Saudi Terror Suspects -NYT | |
2004-07-04 | |
This article details the horse trading to get the British and Canadian(?) "alk runners" released. As far as I am concerned, Blair owes Bush big time on this one. This terrorist transfer is the camel’s nose in the tent that other countries will use to get their nationals released. I look forward to the time this prologue phase of the war comes to an end and the American deluge is loosed upon the Saudis. U.S. officials reluctantly agreed to return five terrorism suspects to Saudi Arabia from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, last year as part of a deal involving Britain, The New York Times reported in Sunday editions. Citing senior American and British officials, all who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Times reported the arrangement called for Saudi officials to release five Britons and two others convicted of guerrilla attacks in Saudi Arabia. British diplomats believed they were tortured by Saudi security officers into confessing falsely. Officials involved in the plan told the Times the transfer of the Saudis from Guantanamo was initially resisted by the Pentagon, the CIA and the Justice Department. The agencies questioned whether some detainees were too dangerous to send back and whether Saudi promises to keep the men imprisoned could be trusted. Saying that moving detainees "who posed a threat was a new endeavor," one senior U.S. official who backed the plan maintained it was done cautiously. "It was the first time we were doing this, and people did not want to do it," the newspaper quoted the official as saying. The Saudi prisoners were transferred to Riyadh, the capital, in May 2003. The five Britons and two others were freed in August.
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Posted by:ed |
#2 A prisioner exchange! Isn't that what beligerient countries do with POW,s? hhhmmm |
Posted by: Raptor 2004-07-04 8:26:21 AM |
#1 We all know where the five men are. After being set free as a reward for memorizing the Koran, they went on to open up vegetable stalls in Medina or Mecca. |
Posted by: Anonymous4617 2004-07-04 1:10:24 AM |