US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT4093

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004093 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR S/WCI AND NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, PHUM, PGOV, KU, TERRORISM 
SUBJECT: KUWAITI PRESS CLAIMS U.S. WILL RETURN FIVE GTMO 
DETAINEES 
 
REF: A. STATE 163675 
     B. KUWAIT 3699 
     C. KUWAIT 3394 
     D. KUWAIT 2928 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (U)  This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 4. 
 
2.  (U)  Arabic and English dailies have given prominent 
coverage to hunger strikes by detainees in Guantanamo and 
reports that "the United States has agreed to release five of 
the 11 Kuwaitis imprisoned at its camp in Guantanamo Bay, 
Cuba."  The papers are also reporting that two detainees, 
Abdulaziz Sayer Owain Al-Shammari and Fowzi Khalid Abdullah 
Al-Awda, have been hospitalized as a result of a five-week 
hunger strike and are now "skin and bones" and unable to walk. 
 
3.  (C)  Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director of Coordination 
and Follow Up, Ambassador Khaled Al-Maqamis, repeated to 
PolChief September 18 the same message conveyed by Kuwaiti 
Ambassador Al-Sabah to DAS Gray:  the general public, family 
members, and Members of Parliament, are putting increasing 
pressure on the GOK to secure the release of all detainees. 
He added that news of the hunger strike has refueled 
allegations of U.S. abuse of detainees.  He requested that 
steps be taken to immediately return Abdallah Salih Ali 
Al-Ajmi to Kuwaiti custody and asked for an expedited 
decision regarding the status of the other detainees. 
 
4.  (C)  Action request:  Please provide post with an update 
on the status of all detainees and information on the health 
of any Kuwaiti participating in the hunger strike.  Post 
would also welcome information on plans to repatriate 
Al-Ajmi.  End action request. 
LEBARON