Wednesday, Jan 12, 2005
Wednesday, Jan 12, 2005 |
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By Hasan Suroor
LONDON, JAN. 11. For the families of four Britons held in the notorious U.S. detention centre at Guantanamo Bay for alleged terrorist activities, there was good news today as the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, confirmed that they would be returned to Britain within weeks. In a statement in the Commons, he said the U.S. had agreed to release them after "intensive and complex discussions.'' He said the British Government had been negotiating their release since 2003. They were among the nine rounded up three years ago from different parts of the world, including Pakistan and Afghanistan, for allegedly aiding Al-Qaeda and were detained at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba amid allegations of torture.
Lengthy negotiations
Five were returned to Britain last year after lengthy negotiations between the British and U.S. Governments, and within days of their arrival here they were released after being questioned by the police. Their release was widely hailed as a "slap'' on the face of U.S. authorities with civil rights groups claiming that it showed that their detention in Guantanamo Bay had been illegal. The remaining four, awaiting their return to Britain, are Feroz Abbasi, Moazzam Begg, Richard Belmar and Martin Mubanga. Mr. Straw said the Government was aware of Mr. Begg's allegation that he was ill-treated and it would continue to "pursue'' the matter with the U.S. authorities. He refused to "pre-judge'' whether they would be freed once they arrived on the British soil. He suggested that they were subject to Britain's own anti-terror laws and it was for the enforcement agencies to deal with them. Earlier, the Attorney-General, Lord Goldsmith, said the Government had "long sought'' their release and once home they would be handed over to the police for questioning. "I have personally worked hard on that issue and no one, perhaps apart from the families, is as anxious as I am to see the position resolved,'' he told BBC. The U.S. decision marks an end to a particularly bitter row over its treatment of alleged suspects who were never formally charged and denied fair trial.
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