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Home Front
Terror camp Britons to be sent home from Gitmo
2003-11-30
A deal to return British terrorist suspects held at Guantanamo Bay is to be sealed before Christmas, according to officials from America and the United Kingdom. The ’returns policy’ is now believed to be the leading option being considered in Washington which has made clear that it wants to end the tension between the US and Britain over the issue.
Probably a good idea to help Tony where we can.
Under the agreement, the nine British detainees will be sent back to Britain, either after pleading guilty to charges in America and being sent to serve their sentences in British prisons, or without being charged. It is then likely that some of them will be sent to Belmarsh prison in south London and held under prevention of terrorism legislation.
"’ello, boys, we’re the new boss, same as the old boss. Assume the position!"
At least two, Shafiq Rasul and Asif Iqbal, the so-called ’Tipton Two’ could be freed.
Uhhh... Any reason for that?
The agreement will end one of the most damaging conflicts between the White House and Downing Street, which has been pressing for fair trials for the Britons who have been held under military command at the US base in Cuba for two years. Many observers thought that a deal would be signed to mark President George Bush’s visit to London two weeks ago. But complex legal arguments, which are still on-going, meant a delay. America has been moving rapidly in recent weeks to solve the Guantanamo problem which has seen strained relations with a number of countries whose citizens are held at the same base. Last week Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, indicated that although a deal was not yet done with Britain, they had finished questioning two of the nine detainees, thought to be Rasul and Iqbal. An American diplomat also recently announced the release of 20 other non-British inmates. Australia has also agreed a deal on its nationals held there.
Aussies want their turn at these jokers.
Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, and David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, have consistently made it clear that they wanted to see the suspects sent back to face British justice. The Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, has also made trips to Washington to try to secure a deal. British human rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith, who is working with the suspects, said he was confident that a deal had been struck. ’The British Government has finally realised it has to help the Americans out of the corner they have painted themselves into,’ he said. ’This deal will most likely consist of the British having to plead guilty on some serious nonsense charge and come back here to serve their full sentence. However it seems highly improbable that Iqbal and Rasul will be charged with anything. There simply is nothing there.’
Where was it they were caught? Doing what?
It appears that Downing Street would be comfortable with some charges being brought but it is clear that the British Government could not guarantee a trial of anyone sent back to the UK, one of the original demands made by the US.
So we’ll have the trial at Gitmo.
’The Americans just want these people to plead guilty so that it looks as if they have been telling the truth that these are all "bad dudes",’ Stafford Smith said.
More than just ’look’ that way, bucko.
’We know that is nonsense. There is no evidence of any kind against them. In one man’s case all he was doing was running a school.’
Is Stafford really so stupid that he doesn’t understand what happens in an Islamic school?
Stafford Smith said Iqbal had been taken abroad for an arranged marriage by his parents who were concerned about his ’westernised ways’, including a fondness for Manchester United. He disappeared on his stag night and turned up several weeks later in an Afghan jail. At the time the US was offering local people $4,500 to hand in ’foreign Taliban fighters’. ’The idea this rowdy football supporter from Tipton is a terrorist is credible laughable,’ Stafford Smith said. ’He doesn’t know how to load a gun.’
Don’t worry, he’ll show you first chance he gets.
Posted by:Steve White

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Posted by: Lucky   2003-11-30 9:36:44 PM  

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Posted by: Tony (UK)   2003-11-30 11:18:14 AM  

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Posted by: Gasse Katze   2003-11-30 7:11:08 AM  

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