FM denies Yemeni Guantanamo detainees transferring to Saudi Arabia

SANA'A, June 14 (Saba)- An official source at Foreign Ministry
denied on Sunday reports that Yemeni inmates at Guantanamo Bay
prison would be transported to terrorist rehabilitation centers in
Saudi Arabia.

The source told 26sep.net that the Yemeni and American sides still
continued their talks over transporting the detainees to Yemen and
tackling their situation.

He added that there are 96 Yemeni detainees at Guantanamo in custody
of U.S, authorities in charge of what is called "War on Terror."

Recently, an official source said that Yemen rejected sending its
citizens to another country, pointing to a US plan aiming at sending
all or some of the Yemeni detainees to Saudi Arabia.

The US praises the Saudi rehabilitation programs and facilities,
saying under such rehabilitation programs and facilities they can
ensure the returnees would never regroup.

Earlier, the US said they had talked to Saudis over the plan.

Yemen firmly rejected the move, saying it harms its sovereignty. It
assured the US that it would prepare suitable rehabilitation
programs to ensure the best reintegration of the detainees after
their release.

On April 26, Yemen denied reports that it asked for $ 100 million
from the US government in return it accepts its Guantanamo
detainees, affirming it welcomes sending its nationals to their
homeland and assuring effective rehabilitation programs would be
prepared for the returnees.

Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi said the reports were baseless,
pointing to Yemen's persistent efforts and calls for releasing its
citizens detained at the US jail in Cuba.

The sum of $ 11 million Yemen had received from the US government
was not under a deal to send the detainees to their homeland, rather
it was in US aid to enable the government to prepare rehabilitation
programs for the returnees, Al-Qirbi made clear.

Part of the sum would be used to establish a rehabilitation center
of Yemeni Gitmo returnees, he said.

Their cases would be handled based on their files and international
evidence, he concluded. The US wants to shut the prison by January
2010. AH