The Irish Anti-War Movement

Guantanamo captive Omar Deghayes is to be allowed come home in the next couple of weeks!!!!!!!!

SWP, Galway Alliance Against War, Amnesty International,and Irish Anti-War Movement all took up the case of Omar Deghayes, highlighting his abduction and transportation, possibly through Shannon airport on the Guantanamo Express, to the attrocity that is Camp Delta.

I remember the interview I conducted with Omar's brother, Abubaker Deghayes, that was extensively reported on in Socialist Worker newspaper. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I couldn't comprehend such a thing happening to a loved one. And it seems like years ago now, yet Omar has continued to be held all this while.

Some may remember the Galway Alliance Against War 1916 commemoration "Mise Iraq" when Abubaker and Paddy O'Keefe, from the "Save Omar" campaign in Brighton, addressed our assembly, and we highlighted the fight against Empire then and now.

"Neither King nor Kaiser..." "Neither Bush nor Blair..."
 
Abubaker and Paddy returned to Ireland subsequent times to speak at meetings around the island organised through IAWM, and also Amnesty International  public meetings. Here in Galway there was a picture of our Green Mayor at the time, receiving a "727" badge (Omar's prison number)printed in the local media.

Tonight the BBC have announced that Omar Deghayes along with 3 other British residents will be coming back from Guantanamo, soon.

We should make it known that it was the work of activists, not the kindness of governments, that has brought Omar home.
We sent messages of support to Omar by postcards and through his solicitor, we have continued to highlight the issue of Guantanamo, the illegality; the human rights abuses; the role of Shannon in transfering hijacked persons to Guantanamo and else where; extraordinary rendition; and the complicity of the Irish government, which continues today even with the Green Party in government . Not one US military plane or known CIA charter jet has yet been searched at Shannon.

Both the US and the British governments will try and save face by saying that Guantanamo detainees are terrorist suspects but after 5 years they have NEVER BEEN CHARGED OF ANY CRIME. We should expect that there are no conditions placed on their release.

Of Shaker Aamer and Binyam Mohammed, both have been prominent in the Gunantanmo hunger strikes and have suffered as a consequence.

The link for the BBC story is pasted in below as well as front page:
http://news. bbc.co.uk/ 1/hi/uk/7133760. stm

Tonight's BBC Story
Begins:

UK Guantanamo 4 to be released

5 British residents are being detained at Guantanamo Bay.
Four of the 5 British residents who are being held at Guantanamo Bay are to be released, the BBC has learned.
The government requested the release of all 5 men from the US detention camp in August after previously refusing to intervene on behalf of non-UK citizens.
Jamil el-Banna, Omar Deghayes and Abdenour Samuer will come back to the UK, while Shaker Abdur-Raheem Aamer will return to his native Saudi Arabia.
The detainees are not British citizens but lived in the UK before being held.

Intensive negotiations
The fifth man, Ethiopian Binyam Mohammed al Habashi, will remain at Guantanamo.

THE 5 DETAINEES

Omar Deghayes, Libyan with refugee status.

Shaker Abdur-Raheem Aamer, Saudi Arabian granted indefinite leave to remain.

Jamil el-Banna, Jordanian with refugee status.

Binyam Mohammed al Habashi, Ethiopian asylum seeker.

Abdulnour Sameur, Algerian with leave to remain.

Profile: 5 detainees
British and US authorities have been in intensive negotiations about their return over the past few months despite the Pentagon insisting the men are all dangerous.
The US is seeking reassurances that they will not pose any security threat.

The Americans accuse Mr el-Banna of being a prominent al-Qaeda recruiter and financier, Libyan Mr Deghayes of associating with al-Qaeda, and Algerian Mr Sameur of receiving combat training in Afghanistan.

An official announcement on the releases is expected in the next few weeks.

The Conservatives have been asking the (British)government whether they think the three men returning to the UK pose a threat and if so what security precautions will be taken when they return.
The men have all either been granted refugee status, indefinite leave or exceptional leave to remain in the UK.

Camp closure
(British) Foreign Secretary David Miliband formally wrote to his US counterpart Condoleezza Rice with the request for the men's release.
Last year the Court of Appeal upheld the government's decision not to request the return of non-British nationals because the US said it would not negotiate with third countries.
The Foreign Office also said such a move would be counterproductive to its aim of securing the closure of Guantanamo.
The foreign secretary and the home secretary said they requested the release of the men because of steps taken by the US government towards shutting down the detention facility.
The government said all British nationals had been released from Guantanamo by January 2005.
The detention camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba was created in early 2002 to hold suspected terrorists captured in Afghanistan.