The head of a popular committee defending Kuwaiti nationals held in Guantanamo has blasted the US administration for seeking to impose restrictions on former prisoners before it could consider the release of the remaining detainees. “The US wants to impose new security conditions on former detainees because it was unable to detain or condemn them,” Khalid Al Oda said. “This is not right at all and it is undemocratic,” he said.
Al Oda was reacting to news that the Obama administration was refusing to consider sending home two Kuwaiti detainees held at Guantanamo Bay unless new restrictions were placed on two former detainees already released to Kuwait. According to David Cynamon, the lawyer of the Kuwaiti detainees, the US administration has demanded that the two previously released detainees have their passports taken away, be required to check in with local authorities regularly and be under surveillance by the Kuwaiti government for a period of time.
“This makes no sense, either as a matter of justice or necessity,” Cynamon said in a letter to US President Barack Obama and US Attorney General Eric Holder. Al Oda said that the US should shut down the infamous prison. “Kuwait is ready to help with the closure of the prison by getting back its two nationals, Fawzi Al Oda and Fayez Al Kandari, held there,” he said.
According to the activist, Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Shaikh Mohammad Al Sabah will take up the issue with US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton when they meet in Washington. “We are looking forward to hearing good news about our detainees,” Al Oda said. “Kuwait is deeply committed to the safety of its lands and citizens and to that of the US as well,” he said.
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