[Ynet] Of the 166 prisoners still at the infamous US prison in Cuba, 87 are Yemeni. Plans to house them in a new jail in Socotra have not been met with great enthusiasm.
Amid renewed American promises to close down the notorious Guantanamo prison in Cuba, there is speculation that Socotra, an isolated island in the Indian Ocean, could host a new prison facility for Yemenis after they are released from the controversial US-run prison.
Located between Yemen and Somalia, Socotra is one of the most isolated corners of the planet. Home to some 800 varieties of flora and fauna, about a third of which do not exist anywhere else on earth, residents here fear that a prison could have negative ecological implications for this unspoiled area.
Obligatory Google map link.
In Yemen, a US official told The Media Line that the establishment of a credible, sustainable counterterrorism program would be an important step for Yemen’s government in bolstering its security capabilities. He would not confirm that there are plans to build a new prison facility on Socotra. “At this point, speculation and rumor (about a prison) is both baseless and unproductive.”
Residents of the unspoiled island are not enthusiastic about the possibility of hosting dozens of detainees from Guantanamo.
Other developing events and activities on Socotra. |