Releasing the Detained Uighurs into the US

Blogger Hilzoy has completed a multi-part series on the Uighur detainees from Guantanamo Bay into the US. (Links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Compilation, Coda)

The Uighurs are a moderate-Muslim ethnic group from Central Asia and western China. They call their homeland East Turkestan but it was renamed Xinjiang by the Chinese when they took over. The US military conducted Combatant Status Review Tribunals and determined that 15 of the 18 detained Uighurs were not enemy combatants. Currently, 17 of them remain incarcerated, despite the fact that all but one have been approved for release. They have now been detained for over 7 years.

Hilzoy is responding to Newt Gingrich's May 15th column, which claims

Seventeen of the 241 terrorist detainees currently being held at Guantanamo Bay are Chinese Muslims known as Uighurs. These Uighurs have been allied with and trained by al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist groups. The goal of the Uighurs is to establish a separate sharia state.

As part of their ongoing effort to close Guantanamo Bay, the Obama administration has had to figure out what to do with the Uighurs. Officials believe that if they’re sent back to China they will be persecuted, and no third country will take them.

So the Obama administration has decided to set the Uighurs loose in America. Most likely, the lucky community that will soon be hosting the Uighurs is a neighborhood near you: Fairfax Country Virginia, where there is already a sizable (non-terrorist) Uighur community.

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By their own admission, Uighurs being held at Guantanamo Bay are members of or associated with the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), an al Qaeda-affiliated group designated as a terrorist organization under U.S law.

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Even if you accept the argument made by their defenders that the Uighurs’ true targets are Chinese, not Americans, it does nothing to change the fact that they are trained mass killers instructed by the same terrorists responsible for killing 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001.

In the series of posts, Hilzoy debunks these and other myths about the Uighurs. She quotes an FBI agent who interviewed the Uighurs early during their incarceration and concluded that:

The Uighurs considered themselves to be fighting for democracy, and they idolized the United States. Although the Uighurs are Muslim their agenda did not appear to include Islamic radicalism. They claimed to have no political connection to Islamic terrorists or the Taliban. However, their camp in Afghanistan was bombed, and they fled to Pakistan. The Uighurs were captured by the Pakistanis, with half being transferred to US custody, and half being remanded directly to Chinese officials. It was alleged that the Uighurs who were transferred directly to the Chinese were immediately executed. At the time of my TDY, US officials were considering whether to return the Uighurs to the Chinese, possibly to gain support for anticipated US action in the Middle East. The Uighur detainees at GTMO were convinced that they would be immediately executed if they were returned to China.

The Uighurs themselves are pushing back against Gingrich.

No, they have never admitted that [they are associated with ETIM], says [their translator Rushan] Abbas, adding that the Uighurs call the claim "baseless, factless slander against them." Abbas returned from Guantanamo Monday. She now works with the Uighurs' defense attorneys, but said that her comments to the Huffington Post were not intended as advocacy on their behalf.

The Uighurs call relatives in the United States and Europe often, she says, so stay up on the news. They were surprised to hear the accusation from the former Speaker of the House.

"Why does he hate us so much and say those kinds of things? He doesn't know us. He should talk to our attorneys if he's curious about our background," Abbas relates. "How could he speak in such major media with nothing based in fact? They were very disappointed how Newt Gingrich was linking them to ETIM which they never even heard of the name ETIM until they came to Guantanamo Bay."

Text SWAT to 20222 to Donate $5 to UNHCR's Efforts in Pakistan

An announcement from UNHCR on making donations to help displaced people from Pakistan's Swat Valley.

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has asked the American people to join in the world-wide humanitarian effort in Pakistan:

"Now, Americans can use technology to help, as well. Using your cell phones, Americans can text the word "swat" -- to the number 20222 and make a $5 contribution that will help the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees provide tents, clothing, food, and medicine to hundreds of thousands of affected people. And before I came over here, we did that in the State Department. So we are making some of the first donations to this fund."

As the number of men, women and children uprooted this month by the current conflict in north-west Pakistan is now greater than 1.45 million, the UN Refugee Agency stated that it is "absolutely essential" that the international community mount an immediate and massive humanitarian response.

Text the word SWAT to the number 20222 to make an immediate $5 donation to the UN Refugee Agency's life-saving work in Pakistan.

The UN Refugee Agency has been quick to respond to the crisis, but the unfolding emergency requires a quick response by donors. Tents, sleeping mats, and blankets are desperately needed to shelter those innocents whose homes and possessions have been destroyed by war.

The 1.5 million displaced people so far registered this month by authorities and UNHCR are in addition to another 550,000 uprooted people who have fled fighting since last August. According to the latest figures, 987,140 people have been registered from the current influx, including 907,298 outside camps and 79,842 in camps.

According to Guterres "Most of [the displaced] are currently depending on relatives and friends for help and are not in camps, thus creating huge social and economic pressures. But if these people - both the displaced and the many Pakistanis trying to help them - do not receive rapid international support, I fear there is a very real possibility of further destabilization."

$5 can register 15 displaced Pakistanis for assistance and protection.
$50 can register 150 displaced Pakistanis for assistance and protection.
$100 can pay for a survival kit including blankets and cooking stoves.
$200 can provide an all-weather tent to shelter a displaced family.
$500 can sink two wells to provide clean water for refugees.

On Tuesday, May 12 UNHCR airlifted 120 tons of additional relief supplies from its regional stockpile in Dubai. The chartered aircraft carried 10,000 mosquito nets, 14,000 plastic sheets for emergency shelters, 1,500 plastic rolls to build walls and privacy screens in camps, and two portable warehouses.

But, for these nearly 1.5 million displaced persons, the needs are far greater.

Check out Secretary Clinton's comments at: http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entries/text_disaster_relief/
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A previous post that mentions the donation system is here.

Islamist "Justice" in Somalia

Earlier this month, Sharia court in Somalia found a man found guilty of stealing clothing worth about $90. He was punished by having his right hand cut off. It is believed to be the second amputation this year in Somalia. Hardliners from al-Shabaab, a group of Somali Islamists that has been linked to Al-Qaeda, follow the Wahhabi school of Islam, which is based on a very strict reading of Islamic texts. Most Somalis practice the mainstream Sunni faith and al-Shabaab's rules have created an "alien culture" in areas that are controlled by the group.

Michelle Kagari, of Amnesty International's Africa programme, said: "Punishments like these illustrate the extent to which violence still substitutes for the rule of law in many areas of Somalia."

She said she wanted the United Nations to take concrete steps to stop such human rights abuses, and that an independent commission of inquiry or similar mechanism should be set up to investigate.

Amnesty International has also called on the fragile Somali transitional government - and the militias which currently run Kismayo and other parts of the south - to publicly condemn all human rights abuses, including punishments carried out without due process of law.

Suu Kyi at Trial

Diplomats and journalists have been permitted to observe the trial of Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (Previous posts on the charges are here and here.) UK ambassador Mark Canning spoke to BBC about the trial.

"She was composed, upright, crackling with energy," he said. "Very much in charge of her defence team."

Afterwards, she spoke briefly to diplomats to welcome their presence and say she hoped she would meet them in better times, he said.

She then held a separate meeting with three foreign officials: the ambassador of Singapore - the longest serving envoy in Burma - and representatives from Russia, which currently chairs the UN Security Council, and Thailand.

Ms Suu Kyi told the officials that she and her two housekeepers were being treated well and that "it was not too late for something good to come out of this unfortunate incident", Singapore's foreign ministry reported.

Mr Canning said it was not clear whether access to the trial would continue.

"I think this is a story where the conclusion is already scripted," he said.

"I don't have any confidence in the outcome. While the access we had today was very welcome, it doesn't change the fundamental problem."

(Image from BBC story.)

"The Heart of the Matter: The Security of Women and the Security of States"

(Via The Atlantic)

Researchers have found a strong positive correlation between the physical security of women in a country and state security and peacefulness. "Although these results are preliminary, it is still possible to conclude that the security of women must not be overlooked in the study of state security, especially given that the research questions to be raised and the policy initiatives to be considered in the promotion of security will differ markedly if the security of women is seriously considered as a significant influence on state security."

Peace for Sri Lanka?

According to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the country is "liberated."

"Today we have been able to liberate the entire country from the clutches of terrorism," he said. "We have been able to defeat one of the most heinous terrorist groups in the world."

As he walked into parliament, schoolgirls sang an ancient song of praise, while lawmakers held up the national flag.

After speaking in his native Sinhala, President Rajapaksa switched to the language of the Tamil minority, saying ethnic and religious divisions should end.

"We must find a homegrown solution to this conflict. That solution should be acceptable to all the communities."

It's not time for celebration yet:

Sri Lanka is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe as the Government blocks access by the United Nations and other aid agencies to nearly 300,000 civilians displaced by the army’s victory over the Tamil Tigers.

In the north, an estimated 80,000 people — mostly Tamil, many of them sick, malnourished or suffering from battlefield wounds — were making their way on foot from the war zone to government-run camps that are already swamped. The UN is not being allowed any access to them, The Times has learnt.

Accounts of conditions inside the camps — gained from testimony recorded covertly by aid workers — and the journey to them are horrifying.

Event in DC: "Uprooted"

Global Rights, AFRODES (Asociación de Afrocolombianos Desplazados) USA, the U.S. Office on Colombia and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) are screening the film "Uprooted" this Thursday, May 21 at 5:45 PM at the WOLA office at 1666 Connecticut Ave, 4^th Floor conference room. Guest speakers from AFRODES will be present as well.

"Uprooted" is a film that explores the plight of Noris Mosquera, one of the more than 1 million Afro Colombians violently displaced since 1990. Her son dreams of leaving the refugee shelter for a burgeoning soccer academy in the capital city of Bogotá, and Noris will do all he can to make his dream a reality. Through his day-to-day plight, we delve into the tragedy of uprooting and discover the power of resilience.

Space is limited so RSVP by the end of the day on May 20 by emailing rrobb [at] wola.org or calling 202-797-2171.

$110 Million in Aid from US for Pakistan

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the US is providing $110 million in emergency aid for people (as many as 2 million) who have fled the Swat Valley.

"We face a common threat, a common challenge, and now a common task," Clinton said in a White House briefing. "We have seen an enormous amount of support and determination out of the Pakistani government, military, and people in the last weeks to tackle the extremist challenge."

At least since last year, some members of Congress and a growing number of Pakistan and counterterrorism experts have concluded that a crucial missing ingredient in US policy was closer contact with the Pakistani people. This new aid package, while addressing a particular crisis, is also a "first step" in that new policy, some experts in the region say.

"For the last year, the consensus in Washington has been that we needed to create a stronger link to the Pakistani people, that that was in fact the missing link in our relations with a critical part of the world," says Frederick Barton, co-director of the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington. "This is a terrific first step to show we do care about the Pakistani people and not just about Afghanistan or terror."

America's image suffers from particularly low ratings in Pakistan. That has put the Pakistani government in a tight spot as it has come under US pressure for action against the Taliban, which this year has advanced beyond its traditional strongholds along the Afghan border. The Swat Valley, where fighting is now concentrated, is 70 miles outside the capital of Islamabad.

Americans can also get in the act, she said. By texting the word "swat" to the number 20222, anyone can make a $5 donation to the UN High Commissioner's Office for Refugees for use in the Swat Valley crisis. Clinton said she tested the donation system before announcing it, and it worked.

"Prabhakaran: The Life and Death of a Tiger"

A biography of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, from Time's Jyothi Thottam.

The rest of the world might never understand the violence Prabhakaran stood for, but its imprint on Sri Lanka is wide and deep. At the height of his power, just before the 2002 ceasefire, Prabhakaran was the unquestioned leader of a de facto government that controlled more than 15,000 square kilometers of territory in the north and east of Sri Lanka and had its own system of taxes, roads and courts. By the final weeks of conflict, he was believed to be using thousands of Tamil civilians as human shields against the advance of the Sri Lankan military. At the time of his death, 250 core LTTE members stood with him. Few will mourn the end of a man who ruthlessly ordered the murder of his opponents, demanded absolute fealty and pioneered the use of suicide bombings.

News Roundup

Graduation was this past weekend so blogging has been slow! Here are some quick updates:

Tamil Tigers Admit Defeat

1.4 Million People Displaced in Swat Valley, according to the UN

Burmese Democracy Leader Aung San Suu Kyi goes to trial

Darfur Rebel Commander Faces International Criminal Court

Nigerian Civilians Trapped as Army Takes on Rebels

A roundup on the Indian elections

I'll be back to the regular blogging schedule soon!