From Guantanamo to 'Paradise'

Jacob Sullum | June 10, 2009

Palau has agreed to accept the 17 Uighur Muslims from China who are no longer considered "enemy combatants" but have remained at Guantanamo because nobody wanted them. Well, nobody except the Chinese government, which probably wanted to beat, imprison, and execute them. That prospect queered the deal as far as the U.S. was concerned. At the same time, both the Bush and Obama administrations have refused to let the detainees, who have been at Guantanamo since 2002, settle in the United States, and the federal judge who last fall ordered the government to admit them was overruled in February by an appeals court. Fun facts about Palau:

1. It is a former U.S. trust territory in the North Pacific that became an independent country in 1994.

2. It is an archipelago consisting of more than 250 islands.

3. Its U.N. representative calls it "paradise."

4. It is one of the world's smallest countries, with a population of 20,000.

5. It is one of the few countries that maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan, so it doesn't much care what Beijing thinks.

6. It will soon receive $200 million in "long-term development aid" from the United States.

Which suggests a few observations:

1. To make up for seven years of captivity, Palau had better have really nice beaches.

2. If the U.S. were as welcoming as Palau, which is accepting nearly one former detainee for every 1,000 residents, it would let in about 300,000.

3. If the going rate is anything like $12 million each, I'd be happy to take a few myself.

More Reason coverage of the Uighurs' predicament here. Me on President Obama's plans to close Guantanamo here and here.

Comments

the innominate one|6.10.09 @ 5:15PM|#

How difficult is it to emigrate to Palau?

Libertarian|6.10.09 @ 5:20PM|#

I think you're looking at the payoff backwards ($12 million per detainee). You need to look at it per capita for the current population: $10,000 each! What city of 20,000 souls in the USA wouldn't have taken them in for that paycheck?

|6.10.09 @ 5:41PM|#

To make up for seven years of captivity, Palau had better have really nice beaches.

Unlike Guantanamo?

How difficult is it to emigrate to Palau?

Not hard at all, if you've got $12 million.

IceTrey|6.10.09 @ 5:51PM|#

The real question is "How hard is it to emigrate FROM Palau"? I can just see it now. As soon as the Uighers arrive they walk over to the counter and ask for 17 tickets to the Tajikistan city closest to the Chinese border.

|6.10.09 @ 5:54PM|#

Why can't they be dropped off in the exact spot where they were picked up. I've been trying to find out where these guys come from and why we can't send them back there. Yeah, I know they are from China. But where did we arrest them? If it was Iraq or Afghanistan, send them back to Iraq or Afganistan.

|6.10.09 @ 5:59PM|#

for $12 million, i'll take two or three if they don't mind the cramped quarters of a one-bedroom apartment in jersey.
i'll put bars on the windows, lock the doors from the outside, and feed them through a slot. it'll be just like gitmo only a 'bit' colder in the winter.

|6.10.09 @ 6:02PM|#

It irks me that so many "conservatives" have decided that fighting a bogeyman named Islam is more important than fighting Communism. By Ronald Reagan's standards these Uighurs are freedom fighters - and we should really be supporting their efforts to free their nation from Communist Chinese hegemony. Instead we've decided their "terrorists" because they share the same religion as the whack-jobs who destroyed the WTC. 20 years ago places like the AEI would be presenting these Uighurs with medals, now they're attacking Obama for not treating them like the second coming of the Manson family. Makes you wonder what "values" anyone in America actually believes in other than rooting for their "side."

Paul|6.10.09 @ 6:03PM|#

I knew a girl from Palau once. Man was she haawwttt.

Naga Sadow|6.10.09 @ 6:04PM|#

Well, bon voyage is all I have to say about this issue. Held against their will with no trial? An island paradise existence is kind of the least we could do for them. On another front, I almost feel sorry for everyone who's being brought over for trial. Our criminals are very patriotic. I expect their life expectancy to drop dramatically as soon as they are sentenced. Sort of like child rapists and such.

|6.10.09 @ 6:10PM|#

Yeah, in a wierd kind of way, this is a really cool thing to do.

I'd love to live in Palau.

True, being separated from family and friends isn't fun, but as resistance fighters, they probably were already doing that. And if you're going to be trapped in a foreign country for the rest of your life, a tropical island isn't a bad place to do it.

Paul|6.10.09 @ 6:14PM|#

but as resistance fighters

Alleged resistance fighters.

|6.10.09 @ 6:24PM|#

On BBC they posted a voice recording of the President of Palau declaring that the $200 million in aid from the U.S. to Palau is "not true." I found the clip here at newsy.com. http://www.newsy.com/videos/palau_s_potential_prisoners

|6.10.09 @ 6:30PM|#

Why can't they be dropped off in the exact spot where they were picked up.

That gets my vote.

I've been trying to find out where these guys come from and why we can't send them back there.

Tora Bora. The irony, if the convoy taking them back got ambushed.

Alleged resistance fighters.

I don't think there's any real doubt that they were training in a Taliban/AQ camp. Probably not to fight us, but still . . . .

|6.10.09 @ 6:38PM|#

"Held against their will with no trial? An island paradise existence is kind of the least we could do for them"

Probably a short-lived paradise if sea levels rise.

Also, I wonder how easy it'll be to obtain halal food.

And it really makes the US look like a bunch of cowards. We're afraid to take them in, but a tiny isolated country of 20,000 people can handle the danger?

Paul|6.10.09 @ 6:55PM|#

Probably a short-lived paradise if sea levels rise.

They won't.

ed|6.10.09 @ 6:57PM|#

if you're going to be trapped in a foreign country for the rest of your life,
a tropical island isn't a bad place to do it

That depends. Is there air conditioning on Palau?

db|6.10.09 @ 6:59PM|#

On BBC they posted a voice recording of the President of Palau declaring that the $200 million in aid from the U.S. to Palau is "not true."

Ya think Mr. President of Palau was hoping to do something fun with that? Kind of like a husband who doesn't tell his wife he just got a bonus check?

the innominate one|6.10.09 @ 7:07PM|#

RC - I don't have $12 million. Now how hard is it?

Paul|6.10.09 @ 7:10PM|#

That depends. Is there air conditioning on Palau?

don't need it. Small tropical island, constant offshore breezes.

Mad Max|6.10.09 @ 7:17PM|#

'for $12 million, i'll take two or three if they don't mind the cramped quarters of a one-bedroom apartment in jersey.

'i'll put bars on the windows, lock the doors from the outside, and feed them through a slot. it'll be just like gitmo only a 'bit' colder in the winter.'

I doubt the courts would allow such cruel and unusual punishment as being forced to live in New Jersey.

(Kidding! Kidding! New Jersey is the Garden State! It makes Palau look like a dump! Come to New Jersey today!)

|6.10.09 @ 8:44PM|#

$12 million....

Where's MY Uighur!!?

Rhywun|6.10.09 @ 8:54PM|#

I don't care if they were training to be terrorists against America or against China. Terrorism is just wrong.

|6.10.09 @ 9:49PM|#

Ugh. I don't think there's much doubt that they were training to fight the Chinese government. Otherwise, why would China want to torture and execute them? It's not clear at all that they were in a Taliban/AQ camp, though. They may have simply been turned over for bounties. It's entirely possible that the Uighurs have their own training camps quite independent from AQ/Taliban ones. Philosophically, there's no evidence that they espouse AQ-style suicide-bombing-of-civilian-targets terrorism.

|6.11.09 @ 6:34AM|#

A lot of very famous people started off as Uighurs. Mark Whalberg, Pink, that guy in Malibu's Most Wanted. They've still got a chance to drop the image and instantly be taken much more seriously.

As long as we're sending them to Polynesia, I've got this idea for a rap musical called "Tora Bora to Bora Bora: A Uighur's keeps it real"

|6.11.09 @ 8:39AM|#

It is one of the few countries that maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan, so it doesn't much care what Beijing thinks.

I love them already.

ed|6.11.09 @ 8:50AM|#

constant offshore breezes

You mean it's hot and windy? Didn't they have all that at Gitmo?
If I were a Uighur I'd be looking for a new travel agent.

Xeones|6.11.09 @ 9:14AM|#

You mean it's hot and windy?

Wikipedia sez the mean temperature is 82 degrees, with around 82% humidity. Sounds pretty good to me. But then, here in East Virginia, it's supposed to be around 90 today, with 100% humidity, so i've my reasons.

|6.11.09 @ 9:49AM|#

It's not clear at all that they were in a Taliban/AQ camp, though.

I find it highly unlikely that there were any terrorist training camps around Tora Bora that weren't Taliban/AQ camps.

I say we take them back to Tora Bora, drop them off by the side of the road, give them the equivalent of local wages for every month they've been in captivity, and drive away. Everybody wins! The Chinese don't have them, we don't have them, they're where they wanted to be.

|6.11.09 @ 9:53AM|#

For $12 million I'll take one... then again, I'm in Shanghai, they might not want to come here.

ed|6.11.09 @ 11:03AM|#

Wikipedia sez the mean temperature is 82 degrees, with around 82% humidity

Hot, windy...and humid? All the time? Paradise my ass.

|6.11.09 @ 12:05PM|#

"""I say we take them back to Tora Bora, drop them off by the side of the road, give them the equivalent of local wages for every month they've been in captivity, and drive away. Everybody wins! The Chinese don't have them, we don't have them, they're where they wanted to be."""

It's got my vote.