Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10KUWAIT1
2010-01-04 12:25:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

GTMO RETURNEE FUAD AL-RABIAH RELEASED BY COURT

Tags:  PREL PTER PGOV PINR KDRG KU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKU #0001 0041225
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 041225Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4400
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
S E C R E T KUWAIT 000001 

NOFORN
SIPDIS

NEA/ARP, NEA/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2019
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV PINR KDRG KU
SUBJECT: GTMO RETURNEE FUAD AL-RABIAH RELEASED BY COURT

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

S E C R E T KUWAIT 000001

NOFORN
SIPDIS

NEA/ARP, NEA/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2019
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV PINR KDRG KU
SUBJECT: GTMO RETURNEE FUAD AL-RABIAH RELEASED BY COURT

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


1. (U) In a page-one special, Kuwaiti daily Arab Times
reported on December 30 that recent GTMO detainee Fuad
Al-Rabiah, who was handed over to the GOK and returned to
Kuwait on December 10, was released by a Kuwaiti court on
December 29. The article noted that Al-Rabiah, who was
arrested in Afghanistan in 2002, had spent eight years in
Guantanamo before being turned over to the GOK earlier this
month and was subsequently detained by Kuwait State Security
for eighteen days prior to his release by the court.

2. (S/NF) Ambassador, during a December 30 conversation with
MFA U/S Khaled Jarallah (septel),noted that the morning's
news of Al-Rabiah's release by a Kuwaiti court after he had
been back in-country for less than three weeks -- together
with concerns over the GOK's heavily caveated diplomatic note
"guarantees" regarding the monitoring and supervision of
other GTMO returnees -- could render more complicated the
hand-over of Fawzi Al-Awdah, one of Kuwait's two remaining
GTMO detainees. (Note: Al-Awdah's father Khalid is founder
and chairman of the Kuwaiti Family Commitee, which he
established in 2002 to "secure the rights of Guantanamo
detainees". Khalid Al-Awdah, a former Kuwait Air Force
officer, has enjoyed a prominent role with the GOK in dealing
with the GTMO detainees, including in the establishment of a
rehabilitation center. End Note.)

3. (S/NF) Jarallah acknowledged that Al-Awdah, given his
father's prominent position as head of the Kuwaiti Family
Committee seeking the release of all Kuwaiti GTMO detainees,
has high political value for the GOK. Ambassador conveyed to
Jarallah our frustration over the GOK's apparently rather
cavalier handling of Al-Rabiah, notwithstanding extensive
assurances -- reflected not least in the GOK's establishment
of the Salam Rehabilitation Center -- that these cases would
be treated with due regard for US security concerns.
Ambassador further noted that some in Washington might

perceive that we were being "gamed" by the GOK, which
apparently assessed that we could not build solid judicial
cases against these detainees and would therefore release
them in any case, given the political mandate to close
Guantanamo. Nonetheless, serious security issues remained
and the Amir had assured the President that Kuwait would
monitor and control their movements, once returned.

4. (S/NF) Jarallah agreed that the GOK needed to show
seriousness in its handling of the released detainees, but
noted -- as in the past -- that Kuwait's constitutional
system and the absence of strong CT legislation limited its
options. Ambassador, citing the improved US-GOK liaison
relationship, pressed Jarallah for a commitment to keep
Embassy informed of the ex-detainees' movements and/or any
suspicious contacts. Jarallah assured Ambassador this would
be done. Ambassador also raised travel concerns, noting that
the detainees could leave Kuwait on their GCC IDs. Jarallah
acknowledged this was the case, but averred they could not
leave the GCC countries without a passport; he agreed to
raise Ambassador's requests that we be notified in advance of
any inter-GCC travel.

5. (C) In a December 31 conversation, Dr. Adnan Al-Shatti, a
psychiatrist and member of the returnee rehabilitation team
at Kuwait's Salam rehabilitation center, confirmed to
POLCouns that Al-Rabiah had, in fact, been released by
Kuwait's renewals court on December 29. Al-Shatti said the
court released Al-Rabiah due to a lack of credible evidence
against him and also took into account his advanced age
(approximately 50). Al-Shatti said he did not believe there
would be any further legal proceedings against Al-Rabiah.
He noted, however, that although Al-Rabiah is now back with
his family, he will continue to report to the Rehabilitation
Center twice weekly for treatment and evaluation for an
indefinite period; Al-Rabiah also remains in "regular"
telephone contact with Al-Shatti. Al-Shatti said he was
"sure" that the GOK had confiscated Al-Rabiah's passport to
prevent unauthorized travel and would monitor his movements
for the next year or so. Al-Shatti said he believes
Al-Rabiah is making excellent progress in his reintegration
into Kuwaiti society and is unlikely to pose any future
problems; Al-Rabiah is presently making plans to obtain a PhD
in philosophy. Al-Shatti promised to alert Embassy
"immediately" if he finds anything amiss in Al-Rabiah's
behavior, noting the GOK's and his personal interest in
ensuring that Al-Rabiah's rehabilitation goes smoothly.

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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