The Uighurs Terrorists No Longer at GITMO

Britain snubbed as Bermuda takes in Uighurs after deal with US
Times Online
Britain was left scrambling to assert the vestiges of its colonial authority yesterday after Bermuda welcomed in four former Guantánamo detainees under a secret deal with the United States.
British officials knew nothing of the arrangement until the men, all ethnic Uighurs from western China, were already airborne en route from Guantánamo to the British island territory, better known as a haven for tourists and tax exiles than former terrorist suspects.

Alarm bells sounded in London when Ewart Brown, the Bermudian Premier, welcomed the men as “landed in Bermuda in the short term, provided with the opportunity to become naturalised citizens and thereafter afforded the right to travel and leave Bermuda, potentially settling elsewhere”.

The men are in the country as “guest workers”. Under the British Overseas Territory Act of 2002, citizens of Bermuda were restored with the full rights of British citizenship, including the right of abode in the United Kingdom. Bermuda has control over internal affairs, including immigration, but not over foreign affairs, defence or security matters, under which, London made clear, the case of the Uighurs falls.
In a statement shortly after their arrival in Bermuda, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office chided authorities there for failing to consult London on their decision to admit the men and insisted that security assessments must be carried out before their future was decided. “This was a decision of the Bermuda Government,” the FCO said.

“We have underlined to the Bermuda Government that it should have consulted the UK on whether this falls within their competence or is a foreign affairs or security issue for which the Bermuda Government do not have delegated responsibility.”

The Foreign Office noted that the Uighurs — Huzaifa Parhat, Abdul Semet, Abdul Nasser and Jalal Jalaladin — do not possess any travel documents and so would be unable to leave Bermuda.
The development comes after Washington’s failure to convince Britain to take any more former detainees from Guantánamo as part of the Obama Administration’s effort to close the Cuban-based jail. Britain believes that it has “done its bit” after accepting 13 British citizens and residents released from Guantánamo.
It was reported on Wednesday that the 17 Uighurs, long recognised as not an international terrorist threat, would be resettled in the former American dependency of Palau in the South Pacific.

Sabin Willet, a lawyer accompanying the men, hailed Bermuda for its “act of grace”. He said: “Nations need good friends. When political opportunists blocked justice in our own country, Bermuda has reminded her old friend America what justice is.”

Those words will smart in London, where questions are already being asked why the US felt free to consult Bermuda but not Britain on the deal.

China demands US return Uighurs
BBC
China has demanded the return of 17 Chinese Muslim Uighur detainees held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay.

America should “stop handing over terrorist suspects to any third country,” foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.

Palau, a former US Pacific territory which does not recognise China, has agreed to accept the ethnic Uighurs.
The US has been reluctant to send the Uighurs back to China for fear they will be tortured or executed.
There are more than eight million Uighurs living in the Chinese province of Xinjiang, a vast area of western China that borders Central Asia.
Correspondents say many members of the mainly Muslim community say they suffer Chinese political and religious persecution.
Beijing says Uighur insurgents are leading an Islamic separatist movement.
China says the 17 due to be sent from Guantanamo to Palau are members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which is on the United Nations list of terrorist groups.

“China urges the US to implement the UN Security Council’s relevant resolutions and its international obligations on counter-terrorism,” Mr Qin said.

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Wild Thing’s comment…….
Bermuda Triangle anyone? heh heh
The article doesn’t say if we had to give Bermuda money ( the pay off) like Obama gave the $200,000,000 bribe to
Palau. From what I can gather there is nothing preventing these terrorists from leaving Palau and attacking American interests.
And now Obama has the Chi-coms mad at him. LOL He just keeps getting countries mad at him. That’s how it is for Community Organizers that become president you see, oh WAIT, he is the first community organizer to hit it big time before. Gosh maybe this is why!
Hey Obama don’t worry about all these countries KNOWING what a POS you are. Your own citizens know it, at least half the country and that number is growing at least among the ones that are finally waking up.
The Chi-coms say they want the terrorists now , I wonder if they want the $200 million that goes with them?
Boy howdy Obama sure loves bailouts, this will have to be called the Terrorist Bailout going once, going twice….SOLD FOR A NEAT $200 Million.