US embassy cable - 05PARIS1610

UNCLAS PARIS 001610 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, FR 
SUBJECT: FRENCH RELEASE 1 OF 3 EX-GTMO DETAINEES 
REPATRIATED MARCH 7 
 
REF: STATE 34902 
 
1. (U) According to press reports, the GOF released Mustaq 
Ali Patel in the evening of March 9 after questioning him for 
two days.  Patel was one of three French citizens previously 
held in Guantanamo (GTMO) and transferred to French custody 
on March 7.  The other two ex-GTMO detainees, Ridouane Khalid 
and Khaled Ben Mustafa, remain in detention.  According to 
French law, they can remain in detention for 96 hours before 
charges must be filed.  A decision on whether to file charges 
against Khalid and Ben Mustafa will likely occur by Friday, 
March 11. 
 
2. (SBU) Comment: The decision to release Patel was expected, 
given that he no longer was considered by the USG to be an 
enemy combatant (reftel) and the French had consistently told 
us that they had no derogatory information against him. 
Regarding Khalid and Ben Mustafa, a decision to charge them 
with "terrorist conspiracy" is possible, indeed likely.  If 
charged and successfully sent to pretrial detention, Khalid 
and Ben Mustafa will join the other four French ex-GTMO 
detainees in prison and currently awaiting trial.  Judicial 
sources have told us that all six ex-GTMO detainees may be 
tried together.  End comment. 
Leach