AP is reportingthat the nation of Palau has agreed to take the 17 Uighur detainees held at Guantanamo.
This is very exciting news for human rights advocates. Many on this website have written about the sad plight of the Uighurs held at Guantanamo Bay. These men are Chinese Muslims. They were once traders who were turned in by Afghans looking to make a profit from turning terrorists over to the US. They are peaceful men with no links to terrorism.
China has aggressively pursued these men, preventing any nation from accepting them.
Fortunately, Palau is one of the few nations that does not recognize China !!!
Spokesman Kelly said former Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried, named by the Obama administration as a special envoy for resettling Guantanamo detainees, held talks in Palau on the Uighurs' status in recent days.
He flatly rejected published reports linking Palau's acceptance of the Uighurs to a pending $200 million U.S. aid package to the island group. U.S. officials say the multi-year aid plan has been under negotiation for several years, long before any discussions on the detainees.
You know, if it takes $200 million to free some poor guys who are wrongfully imprisoned, I think I can live with that.