MOI REQUESTS GTMO SUICIDE NOTES TO QUELL MURDER

S E C R E T RIYADH 005274 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2016 TAGS: PTER PREL KAWC SA SUBJECT: MOI REQUESTS GTMO SUICIDE NOTES TO QUELL MURDER ACCUSATIONS REF: RIYADH 4919 Classified By: Ambassador James C. Oberwetter for reasons 1.4(b) and (d ). ¶1. (U) This is an action request. ¶2. (S) The Saudi Ministry of Interior (MOI) has asked the USG for the suicide notes written by the two deceased Saudi Guantanamo detainees, Yasser al-Zahrani and Manie al-Otaibi. The MOI wishes to provide copies of these letters to the family members of the deceased as evidence that their sons committed suicide. Post requests the Department's assistance in asking that DOD provide MOI with either the original notes or photocopies. ¶3. (S) The MOI has performed autopsies on the bodies, and said they will announce their findings within one month. Family members of the deceased continue to deny that their sons committed suicide, and they continue to publicly accuse U.S. authorities of murder. Funerals were held this past week for the two men; the Arab News reported that 5,000 mourners attended al-Zahrani's funeral in Medina. ¶4. (S) Comment: Post recognizes that the suicide notes are part of an ongoing DOD investigation into the deaths. However, we agree with MOI's assessment that the notes may help the family members come to terms with the reality of the suicides. End Comment. OBERWETTER