RECEIPT OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE ON BAHRAINI DETAINEES

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000390

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2015
TAGS: PREL KAWC OPDC BA
SUBJECT: RECEIPT OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE ON BAHRAINI DETAINEES
AT GTMO

REF: STATE 45507

Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).


1. (U) Embassy received diplomatic note number
11/231/2-39138 concerning Bahraini detainees at GTMO from the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs March 16.

Begin Text of Diplomatic Note:

11/231/2-39138
March 14, 2005

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs presents its compliments to
the Embassy of the United States of America in the Kingdom of
Bahrain and would like to refer to what the American press
and media circulated recently about the intention of the
American authorities to move a number of the prisoners at
Guantanamo to their countries and to release others. The
Ministry would like to notify the Embassy that there are six
citizens of the Kingdom of Bahrain among the prisoners (a
list of their names is attached). The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs would be grateful if the Embassy would inform the
Ministry about the fate of these citizens and if they are
among those that the American authorities are going to
release. The Kingdom of Bahrain has requested on more than
one occasion during its follow up on the issue of the
Bahraini prisoners at Guantanamo that the American
authorities send them to the Kingdom.

The Ministry avails itself of this opportunity to renew to
the Embassy of the United States of America the assurance of
its highest consideration.

End Text.

Begin Text of Attachment:

Abdulla Majed Al-Naimi, detainee number JJJ AEI
Adel Kamel Hajee, detainee number JFJ
Essa Al-Merbati, detainee number 0079711-07
Jumah Mohammed Al-Dossary
Salman Ebraheem Al-Khalifa, detainee number JJ BDF
Salah A. Rasool Ali Al-Bloushi, detainee number JJJ BB G

End text.


2. (U) Embassy understands that the Bahraini Embassy in
Washington delivered a parallel note to the Department March

15. We seek Department's guidance on a response.


3. (C) As described septel, in response to reftel offer for
DOD to lead an interagency team to Bahrain to discuss
Bahraini detainees at GTMO, we note that local press coverage
regarding detainees at GTMO has been heavy recently. The
March 16 Bahrain Tribune ran a banner headline article saying
that Bahraini detainees at GTMO could be released soon
following "great advances" in GOB negotiations with U.S.
authorities, according to Ministry of Interior Acting Chief
of Legal Affairs Col. Mohammed Rashid Buhumood. Bahrain's
newspapers prominently covered a March 11 New York Times
article claiming that the Pentagon seeks to transfer more
than half of the detainees to the custody of foreign
governments. In addition, the Gulf Daily News ran a
four-part series March 12-15 on alleged mistreatment of
Bahraini detainee Juma Al Dossary and Abdulla Majid Al
Nuaimi. According to the articles, the source of the
information was the American lawyer representing the Bahraini
detainees, Dorsey and Whitney attorney Joshua
Colangelo-Bryan, who visited GTMO in October 2004 and plans
to visit again shortly. If the interagency team visits
Bahrain, it should address the future of Bahraini detainees
at GTMO, whether they will be released, under what
conditions, and if not, then why not.

MONROE