Saudis 'called home' from Guantanamo

upi via bloomberg no url | 2/25/4

[NativeNewYorker]

By JOHN C. K. DALY DOHA, Qatar, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Saudi detainees at the U.S Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, were given the special privilege of the right to telephone their families back home during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

One of the detainees directly told his family he was calling from Camp Delta. A condition for making the telephone calls, up to 50 minutes in length and paid for by the U.S. authorities, was that the detainees told their families that their talks should remain confidential.

The calls were reserved for prisoners who had been cooperative, Najeeb bin Mohammad Ahmed al-Nauimi, their British-trained lawyer and a former minister of Justice in Qatar, told United Press International during an interview in his home in Doha, Qatar.

The Department of Defense, which administers Camp Delta in Guantanamo, has publicized its system of rewards for cooperative prisoners. Benefits of cooperating include more frequent showers and exercise time and snack goodies such as Twinkies and McDonald Happy meals from the McDonalds concession on the base.

But so far the Pentagon has never acknowledged some detainees had been given the right to call their families. "No comment," U.S. Army Southern Command spokesman Maj. Michael Shavers told UPI Wednesday.

He promised to make further inquiries. During the fasting month of Ramadan in 2002 and 2003, several Saudi detainees exercised this privilege, said al-Nauimi, who represents 96 families of detainees.

Al-Nauimi's academic credentials are impressive, including a law degree from Egypt's Alexandria University and a doctoral degree in International Law from Scotland's Dundee University.

Al-Nauimi suggested the U.S. authorities allowed the men to telephone home "because they had been cooperative and that the privilege might convince them to share further information."

Al-Nauimi, who has been the United States four times in the course of his defense work, said Defense Department officials denied to him such phone calls had been permitted and asked him: 'Where's your proof?" Al-Nauimi offered to telephone the father of one of the detainees and get him to relate the conversations with his son.

Al-Nauimi also speculated the calls were monitored by the U.S. authorities in the hope of overhearing useful information. But he also noted the translating capacities of the U.S. authorities at Camp Delta, particularly on regional Saudi dialects and tribal slang, were strained. The news of the phone calls adds to charges the Bush administration is treating

Saudi Arabia differently from other front-line states in the war against terror. Despite the fact 15 of the 19 hijackers involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were Saudis, according to an interview in the September issue of Vanity Fair magazine with former White House terrorism chief Richard Clarke, within a week of the attacks private planes flying to 10 American cities collected 140 high-ranking Saudis, including relatives of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden and flew them to Boston, where they boarded two jumbo jets for home. Some reports put the departure date as Sept. 14, others Sept. 18-9. Clarke said top White House officials personally approved the evacuation plan. Two of bin Laden's sons work for the Saudi government.

Al-Nauimi's revelations are likely to increase pressure on Washington from allies such as Britain and Australia, which have nationals in Camp Delta, to accord their citizens similar privileges. "I would like to see all the detainees given at least one telephone call home, as it would make the burdens on their families easier," al-Nauimi told UPI.

Al-Nuaimi strongly believes after more than two years' detention, the detainees should all be allowed at least one telephone call home, however brief, as it would make their families happy.

[Tax Government]

Al-Nuaimi strongly believes after more than two years' detention, the detainees should all be allowed at least one telephone call home, however brief, as it would make their families happy.

3000+ dead people from NYC might disagree, if they could.

[Humidston]

>>Al-Nuaimi strongly believes after more than two years' detention, the detainees should all be allowed at least one telephone call home, however brief, as it would make their families happy.<<

Well we need to make their families happy, don't we? Heaven knows their families NEED to be happy - along with the detainees enjoying their stay.

[grobdriver]

were given the special privilege of the right to telephone their families

No right - just privilege - recindable at any time.

[TruthNtegrity]

Who cares if it makes the families of these detainees happier?

I, for one, sure don't.

They are at Camp Delta because they were involved in some degree of terrorism. For all I care, let them live there forever.

Bring them before a Military tribunal when enough evidence has been gathered, to put them in prison forever.

Otherwise, they should remain nameless, faceless, and without telephone calls, prisoners.

[swarthyguy]

Two of bin Laden's sons work for the Saudi government.

Anyone else know about this. I certainly didn't.

Well, those 28 pages maybe had some really juicy stuff.

[Shermy]

That quote sticks out for sure.

How many sons does he have? Here's one:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1597981.stm


"...But he denied that his father had any part in the 11 September attacks.

He saw him in Afghanistan's capital on Kabul two days beforehand and no mention was made of any attacks.

Abdullah said his younger brother and sister and their mother - Bin Laden's fifth wife went to Pakistani capital Islamabad after the coalition bombing began a week ago.

He said he was ordered by his father to go to Pakistan with the rest of the family though he wanted to fight.

And he said Bin Laden managed to "terrify" his children just by his silence.

"I know my father will not rest while th

[Shermy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/724032/posts
Dawn: Bin Laden's (eldest) son running al-Qaeda in Afghanistan

http://www.rense.com/general31/SOPN.HTM
Bin Laden's Son May Be In US Custody

"...Bin Laden has 23 sons but only two of them are believed to be active in al Qaida. Iranian officials did not identify the one they said they had deported to Pakistan.

One of the bin Laden's sons, Saad bin Laden, who is in his 20s, would be of particular interest to U.S. authorities, who believe he is a potential successor to his father as leader of the al Qaida organization. ...

[Shermy]

About the Bin Laden Family

[swarthyguy]

Article's not clear as to whether those two sons were in the US and evacuated.

What are their jobs? Where, in what dept and capacity? Who's their boss? Why were they allowed to leave, if here?

We could've used them as leverage against their pappy, or better yet, the mommy jihadi breeder of the bloodthirsty brood.

[swarthyguy]

Great Link. Danke!

[Humidston]

Amazing! Thanks.

[WhiteGuy]

"and paid for by the U.S. authorities"

Nope,

Paid for by US taxpayers.

Perhaps they were lobbying for a reduction in OPEC oil production?

[happygrl]

Thanks for the ping SW. Great links, Shermy.