US embassy cable - 05MANAMA1165

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001165 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S/WCI AMBASSADOR PROSPER 
ALSO FOR NEA, NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2015 
TAGS: KAWC, KISL, PGOV, PREL, BA 
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN:  SPEAKING OUT ON GITMO AND DETAINEES 
 
REF: STATE 142348 
 
Classified by Charge d'Affaires Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) The Charge delivered reftel talking points concerning 
detainee operations at Guantanamo to Deputy Prime 
Minister/Foreign Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al 
Khalifa August 10.  In presenting the points, the Charge 
emphasized that capturing and detaining enemy combatants is a 
national security and military necessity.  She pointed out 
that though Al Qaeda is a terrorist organization and 
therefore not covered by the Geneva Conventions, all 
detainees are treated in accordance with international 
obligations and the principles of the Geneva Conventions. 
She stressed that allegations of abuse or other misconduct 
are reviewed and, if warranted, investigated, and those 
responsible are punished.  Detainees are treated humanely and 
are allowed to practice their religion.  She noted that we 
expect the population of detainees at GTMO to continue to 
decrease.  However, a few former detainees who have been 
released have returned to the fight, engaging in armed combat 
against U.S. forces. 
 
2.  (C) Shaikh Mohammed listened carefully to the points and 
did not dispute them.  Signaling his position of looking 
ahead rather than back, he asked about any new information 
regarding the release of Bahraini detainees at GTMO.  (Note: 
Bahrain's August 10 newspapers cover comments by the 
detainees' American lawyer urging GOB efforts to bring back 
the detainees to Bahrain, and MFA Under Secretary Yousef 
Mahmoud's statement that the MFA sent a memo to the USG about 
the return of the detainees.  End Note.)  The Charge replied 
that we had nothing new on the issue.  Shaikh Mohammed said 
that the USG should tell the GOB what steps it should take to 
create the right conditions for a return of the detainees. 
In particular, he was interested in what Bahrain could learn 
from the U.S.'s experience with releases to other countries. 
 
3.  (C) The ForMin said that the detainee issue continued to 
figure prominently in the Bahraini press, and the government 
wants to take actions that will help calm the situation. 
 
ZIADEH