This is the latest on the on-again-off-again story of the Chinese Muslims being held at Gitmo. The Obama Administration wants a few more released, but the group which was offered the Pacific island nation Palau has been reluctant. Looks like three have agreed, but get this they will be allowed to travel. From Fox News (hat tip: Blulitespecial):
KOROR, Palau – Three Chinese Muslims imprisoned for years at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay have agreed to be released to the tiny Pacific nation of Palau, their lawyers told The Associated Press.
The deals struck recently with U.S. officials are the first among a group of 13 Uighur detainees at Guantanamo who have been offered relocation to Palau under President Barack Obama’s plans to close the controversial prison in Cuba. Negotiations are continuing with the rest of the group.
Relocating the Uighurs would bring the Obama administration a step closer to its goal of finding new homes for terrorism suspects and others captured in Afghanistan who have been cleared of wrongdoing but cannot go home for fear of persecution.
But it has also raised tension with Beijing, which regards the inmates as terrorist suspects and wants them returned to China.
[…..]
Clarke has said previously that the detainees had been concerned about whether they would be allowed to travel after getting settled in Palau. His clients hope eventually to make the Hajj, or holy pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
The Uighurs will not be eligible for Palauan passports but the government has said the men would be free to travel so long as another country accepted them. It’s not clear what passports they would have.
No Uighurs currently live in Palau, though there is a Muslim population of about 400 — mostly Bangladeshi migrant workers.
I’ll bet you a buck the Obama Administration gives them US passports!
We have been following the Uighur story ever since they were first to be resettled in Virginia. Use our search function for earlier posts.