Humbly Grateful -- Atrociously Incensed
"We are very grateful to Uruguay for this important humanitarian action, and to President Mujica for his strong leadership in providing a home for individuals who cannot return to their own countries."
U.S. State Department envoy Clifford Sloan
"[Guantanamo Bay prisoners were prisoners of] an atrocious kidnapping."
Letter from Mr. Mujica to Mr. Obama
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The United States has succeeded in transferring 19 prisoners out of Guantanamo this year. Which leaves 136 yet remaining in the infamous prison camp in Cuba. Still, that represents the lowest number since the prison opened in 2002. And several additional such releases are anticipated to take place by the end of the year.
President Obama is anxious to make good his pre-election promise to rid the United States of the embarrassment of Guantanamo. He also discovered, as president, that this was easier promised than accomplished. Where to place those men from Afghanistan, Iraq, Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere in the Arab and Muslim world?
Some of those who were previously released were later found to have returned to their preoccupation of violent Islamist jihad; one of whom surfaced in Libya, and was said to have been responsible for the terrorist cell that targeted the American ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, while visiting at the Benghazi consulate.
But there it is, six prisoners who had spent a dozen years at Guantanamo Bay, now arriving as 'refugees' to a South American country. The Uruguayan government has committed to aiding the men in their adjustment to a new life. Their arrival will boost the presence of Muslims in Uruguay to about 306 individuals.
There is as yet no mosque in Uruguay, but before long no doubt Montevideo will be the proud venue of a mosque as Muslims realize they have respect and haven in that country. Tamar Chaky, director of the Islamic Cultural Organization of Uruguay pledged the Muslim community would be welcoming the newcomers.
They will no doubt be enormously pleased that the president of Uruguay has urged the president of the United States to end its 53-year-old embargo of Cuba and depart its shores, vacating Guantanamo.
Labels: Cuba, United States
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, December 09, 2014
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