Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05MANAMA921
2005-06-29 09:22:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Manama
Cable title:  

DIPLOMATIC NOTE ON GTMO DETAINEES

Tags:  KAWC PREL PTER BA 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

290922Z Jun 05
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000921 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, S/WCI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2015
TAGS: KAWC PREL PTER BA
SUBJECT: DIPLOMATIC NOTE ON GTMO DETAINEES

REF: A. MANAMA 880


B. STATE 97796

C. MANAMA 621

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000921

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, S/WCI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2015
TAGS: KAWC PREL PTER BA
SUBJECT: DIPLOMATIC NOTE ON GTMO DETAINEES

REF: A. MANAMA 880


B. STATE 97796

C. MANAMA 621

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


1. (U) The Embassy received the following diplomatic note
number 19/1/5-46123 dated June 26, 2005 from the MFA.

Begin Text of Diplomatic Note:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain
presents it complements the Embassy of the United States of
America and has the honor to refer to the continued detention
by the United States of six Bahraini citizens at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba, namely Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Bin Mohammed Al
Khalifa, Issa Ali Abdullah Al Murbati, Juma Mohammed Abdul
Latif Al Dosari, Abdullah Majed Al Noaimi, Salah Abdul Rasool
Al Baloushi, and Adel Kamel Abdualla Hajee.

As the Embassy will doubtless be aware, this issue continues
to be of great concern to the leadership, government, and
people of Bahrain. The session of the Council of
Representatives on 14 June 2005 highlighted once again this
concern, reflected also in the continued coverage of the
issue in Bahrain's media. Moreover, the matter is of great
personal concern to Bahrain's leadership.

The Kingdom of Bahrain therefore maintains its strong desire
to see the release and repatriation of the above individuals,
and reiterates its readiness to take all necessary measures
to ensure the full rehabilitation of these individuals, and
their full reintegration into society.

In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to
point out the following:


1. All investigations, both within Bahrain and by the
delegations sent by the Government to Guantanamo, have found
no evidence of criminality for any of the above-mentioned
detainees. Nor has any evidence been found that such
individuals possessed weapons, were involved in terrorism, or
took part in any attack against the United States or its
interests abroad.


2. The Government has found no serious allegations against
any of the Bahraini detainees, and is unaware of any specific
allegations having been made by the United States
authorities. Nevertheless, all six remain in detention, and
two are believed to be held in solitary confinement.



3. According to the information in the media, Juma Mohammed
Abdul Latif Al Dosari has been subjected to physical and
mental mistreatment and abuse, which has caused him both
physical and psychological harm. Moreover, Mr. Al Dosari's
well-being has been further affected by the news that his
father is seriously ill. Requests for information in this
regard by Bahrain's Embassy in Washington, D.C., have not
been answered by the United States government.


4. It was revealed in December 2004 that two Bahraini
detainees were to be released from Guantanamo. To date,
however, no further action has been taken.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs therefore has the honor to
request that the Embassy bring this matter, and the above
issues, to the urgent attention of the concerned authorities
in the United States government, reflecting the high priority
given to the issue by Bahrain and its people.

The Ministry further requests the United States government to
provide information on the detention of the above-mentioned
six individuals, their current status, and on the progress
being made towards their release and repatriation. In light
of the allegations of mistreatment, the Ministry also seeks
recent medical reports on all six detainees.

In light of the historic, close and friendly relations
between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States of
America, and in particular their close and ongoing
cooperation to maintain international peace and security and
to fight against terrorism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
looks forward to receiving an early and positive response to
the above requests.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain
avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of
the United States of America the assurances of its highest
consideration.

End Text.


2. (C) Comment: This diplomatic note is the result of the
government's publicly stated agreement to push harder for the
detainees' release through diplomatic channels following the
June 13-15 visit of two American attorneys from law firm
Dorsey and Whitney, which represents the detainees on a
pro-bono basis (Ref A). With regard to point three above,
the Ambassador briefed Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs/Information Minister Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar
informally on the medical condition of detainee Al Dosari in
November 2004 with information provided by DOD through S/WCI.
On point four, the Bahraini media published comments from
Foreign Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa in
December 2004 that two detainees would be released. We do
not know the source of Shaikh Mohammed's information that
releases were coming; the Embassy never delivered such a
message.


3. (C) Comment continued: The Embassy reiterates Ref A
action request for points we could use publicly and with the
GOB to push back on the point that the detainees are innocent
and wrongly held. By not commenting directly on the
detainees, we have in effect ceded the ground to those who
claim they are innocent.

MONROE