REMAINS RETURNED, FAMILIES OF GTMO DETAINEES CALL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 004919 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/17/2016 TAGS: KISL KPAO PGOV PREL MOPS PTER KAWC SA XF SUBJECT: REMAINS RETURNED, FAMILIES OF GTMO DETAINEES CALL FOR INVESTIGATION OF DEATHS REF: SECSTATE 94613 Classified By: James C. Oberwetter for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) Following the deaths of the three GTMO detainees, Abdulaziz Suleiman al-Rubaish, whose brother is currently detained at GTMO, contacted the Embassy and asked to meet with the Ambassador. PolMilOff met al-Rubaish at the Embassy front gate and accepted a letter addressed to President Bush from relatives of Saudi detainees. The letter holds the USG responsible for the deaths, and calls for an international investigation and the immediate release of the remaining detainees. Post's translation of the letter and Ambassador Oberwetter's letter in response are copied below. ¶2. (U) Al-Jazirah, a Riyadh newspaper, published the contents of the al-Rubaish letter on June 18. The English language Arab News reported on June 19 that the father of one of the deceased, Yasser al-Zahrani, is convinced that U.S. authorities strangled his son, and the results of the ongoing Saudi autopsy would not change his mind. ¶3. (C) EmbOffs observed the repatriation of the remains of the two deceased Saudi detainees at the Riyadh airport shortly after midnight on June 17. Officials from the Ministry of Interior (MOI) visually confirmed the identities of the deceased. The Saudi consular official who accompanied the bodies from GTMO said that he was pleased with the entire repatriation process. (Begin Text of Saudi Letter) Date: 17.5.1427 H (Corresponding June 13, 2006) To: His Excellency George W. Bush, President of the United States Dear Mr. President: With great sorrow and sadness, we received the news of the death of two Saudi Guantanamo prisoners - Yasser Talal al-Zahrani and Manie Shaman al-Otaibi - and the Yemeni prisoner - Ahmed Abdullah. They died under detention, a detention that continued without any legal grounds contrary to all international rules and regulations. While we are very skeptical about the camp administration's story that the prisoners committed suicide, which they know - as true believers - is forbidden in Islam, (Begin underlined text) we hold the U.S. administration responsible for the deaths. We also condemn all methods of investigation practiced against the detainees (End underlined text) in Guantanamo, which may have led them to adopt desperate means to draw attention to their case and highlight the injustices committed against them in order to be released quickly. We, the relatives of Saudis detained in Guantanamo, (Begin underlined text) call for the formation of an international investigation committee to find out the reasons behind their death (End underlined text) or alleged suicide, as well as expose violations practiced against our sons in the detention camp. (Begin underlined text) We also call for an immediate and unconditional release of our sons under detention (End underlined text) in this ill-famed camp. We hold you responsible in front of God and the entire world for delaying their release and the resultant effects on their own physical and psychological conditions as well as those of their relatives. The condition of these detainees is deteriorating everyday due to the inhumane treatment. They were denied any chance of fair trial and left in isolation from the outside world without enjoying any of their human rights. It's a shame for the government and the people of the United States - who relentlessly promulgated the human rights culture and endeavored to implement it worldwide - to keep this detention camp of Guantanamo as witness for the horrible human rights violations committed, while committees and organizations arrange meetings for defending and protecting RIYADH 00004919 002 OF 002 animals!! (Begin underlined text) We call upon all those who have compassionate hearts to extend every effort - by the legal means - to accelerate the release of these victims of injustice (End underlined text) who spent nearly five years in this ill-famed detention camp that is well-known to everyone on earth. (Signed) Relatives of Saudi Citizens Detained at Guantanamo Mohammed Saad bin-Awshan (cell phone 055-523-0491) Abdulaziz Suleiman al-Rubaish (cell phone 050-514-0729) (End Text of Saudi Letter) (Begin Text of Ambassador's Letter) June 20, 2006 Dear Mr. Awhan and Mr. al-Rubaish: I have received your June 13 letter on behalf of the families of Saudi citizens detained at Guantanamo. I have forwarded your letter to appropriate officials at the Department of Defense and the White House. I know that those families with relatives detained at Guantanamo are going through a very difficult time, especially in the wake of the recent deaths of three detainees. The United States government has serious concerns anytime anybody takes their own life, and the deaths are being fully investigated by the Department of Defense. The bodies of the deceased have been returned to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and consular officials from the Saudi Arabian and Yemeni embassies in Washington, D.C. escorted the bodies back to their home countries. A Muslim officer oversaw the process and the bodies were treated with great sensitivity and in strict adherence to Islamic requirements. The United States government has already transferred a number of detainees to their home countries, including Saudi Arabia, and others will be returning to the Kingdom shortly. A formal judicial process is ongoing at Guantanamo and the U.S. federal courts are involved in the process to review the cases of the remaining detainees. The U.S. Supreme Court has a case before it that will influence how and at what pace that process moves forward. Sincerely, James C. Oberwetter Ambassador (End Text of Ambassador's Letter) OBERWETTER