14 GUANTANAMO DETAINEES TRANSFERED TO SAUDI

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 005220

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2016
TAGS: KISL KPAO PGOV PREL KAWC MOPS PTER SA XF
SUBJECT: 14 GUANTANAMO DETAINEES TRANSFERED TO SAUDI
AUTHORITY

REF: A. STATE 96345

B. RIYADH 4919

Classified By: Ambassador James C. Oberwetter for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).


1. (C) Summary and Comment: On June 25, 14 Guantanamo
detainees were transferred to Saudi authority, including a
non-Saudi citizen, Ahmad Sadik Turkestani. The Ministry of
Interior (MOI) has told EmbOffs that all of the detainees
will be further incarcerated in the Kingdom until the SAG
rules they are eligible for release and reintegration into
society. The detainees arrived in the Kingdom in the middle
of the night with no media fanfare or public demonstrations.
However, the Saudi public continues to question the cause of
death of the three detainees that committed suicide, and some
5,000 people attended the funeral in Medina of one of the
deceased Saudis. End Summary and Comment.


2. (C) On June 25, late at night, 14 Guantanamo detainees
arrived in Saudi Arabia via a Ministry of Interior (MOI)
chartered Saudi Arabian Airlines 747 jet. The MOI has told
EmbOffs that all of the transferees will be detained in the
Kingdom until the SAG judges they are ready to be released
and reintegrated into society. The SAG officially views
terrorists as "deviants" who have strayed from the true path
of Islam, and the MOI attempts to reform such individuals
through consultations with right-minded clerics. Upon
release, "reformed" terrorists are often provided with a
government-provided stipend, job-training and other
educational opportunities to help re-establish their lives
The MOI has indicated that the former Guantanamo detainees
will be treated in the same manner -- incarceration,
counseling, and, if appropriate, release and reintegration
into society.


3. (C) The 14 detainees included one non-Saudi citizen,
Ahmad Sadik Turkestani, who was born and raised in the Saudi
city of Taif, where all of his family live. The SAG had
initially refused to allow Turkestani to return to the
Kingdom because he was not a citizen. However, after
consultations with senior level USG officials, the SAG
relented, and allowed Turkestani to return. Although the USG
had determined that Turkestani was "no longer an enemy
combatant" and we did not request his incarceration in the
Kingdom, the MOI intends to detain him indefinitely.


4. (C) Comment: The June 25 transfer of detainees occurred
the week after the repatriation of remains of the two Saudis
who committed suicide at Guantanamo, and nearly two months
after the previous transfer of 15 Saudis. The SAG has taken
measures to minimize a hostile public reaction, and MOI has
coordinated all of the arrivals into the Kingdom to take
place in the middle of the night with no media or fanfare.
The families of the transferred detainees have been notified
individually and the press coverage has not incited a mass
public outcry. However, the Saudi public remains suspicious
of the cause of death of the three detainees that committed
suicide, and the Saudi media reported that approximately
5,000 people attended the funeral in Medina of Yasser
al-Zahrani (Septel). End Comment.


5. (U) The 14 transferred detainees are:
AL HAWSAWI, Musa Abed - ISN 058
NUR, Yusef Khalil Abdallah - ISN 073
ATABY, Mohammed Surur Dakhilallah - ISN 096
GHETAN, Abdul - ISN 132
BA'AWDA, Ali Ahmad Salih Ba'Awda - ISN 184
AL KHATAMI, Saleh - ISN 191
AL RAHMAN, Abd Al Aziz Abd Al Baddah - ISN 264
Al HARBI, Tariq Salah Husan - ISN 265
AL GHANAMI, Abdullah Muhammed - ISN 266
AL NASIR, Ibrahim Muhammed Ibrahim - ISN 271
AL BEDNA, Saad - ISN 337
AL WASSIM, Hussim - ISN 338
QA ID, Rashid Abd Al Muslih Qa Id Al - ISN 344
TURKISTANI, Sadik Ahmad - ISN 491
OBERWETTER