KUWAITI PRESS CLAIMS U.S. WILL RETURN FIVE GTMO

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004093 SIPDIS FOR S/WCI AND NEA/ARPI E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2015 TAGS: PTER PREL PHUM PGOV KU TERRORISM SUBJECT: KUWAITI PRESS CLAIMS U.S. WILL RETURN FIVE GTMO DETAINEES REF: A. STATE 163675 ¶B. KUWAIT 3699 ¶C. KUWAIT 3394 ¶D. KUWAIT 2928 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 4. ¶2. (U) Arabic and English dailies have given prominent coverage to hunger strikes by detainees in Guantanamo and reports that "the United States has agreed to release five of the 11 Kuwaitis imprisoned at its camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba." The papers are also reporting that two detainees, Abdulaziz Sayer Owain Al-Shammari and Fowzi Khalid Abdullah Al-Awda, have been hospitalized as a result of a five-week hunger strike and are now "skin and bones" and unable to walk. ¶3. (C) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director of Coordination and Follow Up, Ambassador Khaled Al-Maqamis, repeated to PolChief September 18 the same message conveyed by Kuwaiti Ambassador Al-Sabah to DAS Gray: the general public, family members, and Members of Parliament, are putting increasing pressure on the GOK to secure the release of all detainees. He added that news of the hunger strike has refueled allegations of U.S. abuse of detainees. He requested that steps be taken to immediately return Abdallah Salih Ali Al-Ajmi to Kuwaiti custody and asked for an expedited decision regarding the status of the other detainees. ¶4. (C) Action request: Please provide post with an update on the status of all detainees and information on the health of any Kuwaiti participating in the hunger strike. Post would also welcome information on plans to repatriate Al-Ajmi. End action request. LEBARON