KUWAITI PSYCHIATRIST: OUTLOOK POSITIVE FOR GTMO

S E C R E T KUWAIT 001018

NOFORN
SIPDIS

NEA/ARP, NEA/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2019
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV PINR KDRG KU
SUBJECT: KUWAITI PSYCHIATRIST: OUTLOOK POSITIVE FOR GTMO
REHABILITATION

REF: KUWAIT 755

Classified By: Political Counselor Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and
d

Al-Mutayri Rehabilitation: Not a Problem
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1. (S/NF) Kuwaiti Psychiatrist and Al-Salam Rehabilitation
Center board member Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghuloum related to poloff
on October 21 his positive prognosis for the likelihood of
the eventual settling into Kuwaiti life of (newly) former
GTMO detainee Khaled Al-Mutayri -- repatriated to Kuwait on
October 9. Though he has not seen Al-Mutayri since his
September trip to GTMO where he interviewed and reviewed the
medical files of all four remaining Kuwaiti GTMO detainees,
Al-Ghuloum affirmed that Al-Mutayri "is not going to be a
problem." Al-Ghuloum gathered from his colleagues at the
rehab center and through GOK sources that Al-Mutayri is not
fighting his continued detention and has reportedly indicated
his desire
to be admitted to the Rehab center located at Kuwait's
Central Prison (reftel). Ghuloum speculated that it might be
months before Al-Mutayri will be transferred to the center
because Kuwait State Security (KSS) desires to keep him under
observation at a military hospital. He also speculated that
KSS is taking active investigatory measures in building a
criminal case against Al-Mutayri. (Note: A KSS official who
met personally with Al-Mutayri after repatriation relayed to
GRPO that though Al-Mutayri appears calm around family and
Rehab center staff during their September GTMO visit, around
security officials, he appears full of anger. End note.)

Rx: Extend Psychiatric Care to the Family
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2. (C) Al-Mutayri's re-entry into Kuwait was a low-key event
and he has reportedly met with few outside of his family. As
a member of the team responsible for Al-Mutayri's
rehabilitation, Al-Ghuloum has not yet seen him and predicted
that as a psychiatrist, he would have little dealings with
Al-Mutayri. The rehabilitation of Al-Mutayri would primarily
be conducted by Imam Khalid Al-Otaibi (who also traveled to
GTMO in September) -- who in Al-Ghuloum's opinion was more
than suited for the task. Al-Ghuloum speculated that he
would be called in to counsel the family members of
Al-Mutayri to help them prepare him for the eventual return
to daily life.

Family to Play a Crucial Role in Rehabilation
--------------


3. (C) He also said that by all accounts he had heard,
Abdullah Al-Ajmi was clinically unstable and warranted
psychiatric care at the time of his Mosul, Iraq suicide
detonation in April 2008. Al-Ghuloum said that he would take
this into account when counseling family members, and help
them recognize signs of despondency or depression. (Note:
The GOK places a high degree of emphasis on the role of the
family in rehabilitating extremists, especially in terms of
the monitoring and prevention of mixing with negative
influences. Reinforcing this, families of the former eight
detainees took steps to have them married to speed up their
accepting of responsibilities and playing a role in their
communities. Dr. Al-Ghuloum does not prescribe marriage as a
"treatment" but suggested that it would be a tack quickly
taken by families of the remaining detainees who are still
unmarried. End note.).

Little Public Sympathy for Extremists
--------------


4. (C) Al-Ghuloum also mentioned that of the four
detainees, he only had reservations about Fayez Al-Kandari.
Though he believed that Fayez would not be a threat to
society, he speculated that he might have some adjustment
issues. Along the same lines, Fayez, of the Al-Kandari clan,
would likely not benefit from the same familial embrace
available to the other three. The Kanadir (plural) "are a
rough lot, the Kuwaiti Celts." (Ghuloum spent eight years
doing his clinical studies in Ireland). Overall, though,
Kuwaiti public sentiment towards the detainees and others
suspected of extremism, according to
Al-Ghuloum (a liberal Shi'a) is one of embarrassment, many
with calls to "let them rot."

Ample Access to Detainees
--------------


5. (C) Al-Ghuloum also expressed his appreciation for USG
hospitality and accommodation for the September trip to GTMO,
saying that he felt that he was allowed ample access to the
detainees and all relevant information regarding them. The
psychiatrist ended by expressing his willingness for
continued contact with the Embassy on these issues.

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For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
visit Kuwait's Classified Website at:

http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it
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JONES