State Department cable concerning a gentleman who approached the embassy to inquire about his son’s status in U.S. custody at Guantanamo. The father stated that he formed a group of detainee families to act collectively to seek information, access and the safe return of their family members. The father found out about his son's detention through their government and did not inquire of the U.S. Embassy as to the accuracy of the report of his son's detention at Guantanamo. The father claims his son was a humanitarian aid worker and was mistaken for a Taliban fighter.
* Current Class: CONFIDENTIAL UNCLASSIFIED Page: 1
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CONFIDENTIAL
PTQ0743
RELEASED IN PART
PAGE 01 01 OF 02 091032Z
ACTION SCT-00 B6, Bl, 1.4(B), 1.4(D), B7(C)
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 A-00 CCO-00
AID-00 CA-01 CG-00
CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 INL-00
DOEE-00 DOTE-00 PERC-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 EUR-00
EB-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00
TEDE-00 INR-00 VCE-00 M-00
INSE-00 L-00 MED-07
AC-01 NEA-00 NRCE-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OCS-03
DCP-01
PA-00 PC-01 PRS-00 P-00
PM-00 ACE-00 SSO-00
SS-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 USSS-00 SA-00
ASDS-01 PMB-00
DSCC-00 G-00 /015W
• NFAT-00 SAS-00
812DD6 091033Z /38
0 0910172 APR 02
FM AMEMBASSY
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1558
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO GCC COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 01 OF 02
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/12
TAGS: PTER, PK, AF,
I I
I
SUBJECT: FATHER OF GUANTANAMO DETAINEE ASKS ABOUT HIS
SON'S STATUS; GROUP OF' 'DETAINEE FAMILIES FORMED
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR FOR REASON
1.5 (D).
1. (C) SUMMARY. THE FATHER OF A NATIONAL DETAINED
CONFIDENg;11:111
PAGE 02 01 OF 02 091032Z
AT GUANTANAMO BAY HAS APPROACHED THE EMBASSY TO INQUIRE
B6
ABOUT THE DETAINEES' STATUS. WHO
IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS THE FATHER OF DETAINEE 6, B7(C)
III TOLD US THAT HE HAS FORMED A GROUP OF B1
DETAINEE FAMILIES WHICH SEEK ASSURANCES THA
ARE BEING PROPERLY TREATED AND WHICH HOPE TO EXPEDITE
THEIR RELEASE. I;;RELAYED HIS VERSION OF HIS SON'S
B6
AND OTHER DETAII IVITIES TO POLCOUNS, CLAIMING
THAT THEY WERE ALL AID WORKERS MISIDENTIFIED AS
COMBATANTS. HOWEVER, HE COULD NOT OR WOULD NOT SPECIFY
WITH WHICH AID GROUPS THEY SUPPOSEDLY HAD WORKED.
END SUMMARY.
Current Class: CONFIDENTIAL Page: 1
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY: SHARON E AHM AD DOS-002478
UNCLASSIFIED
DATE/CASE ID: 24 NOV 2004 200303827
Current Class: CONFIDENTIAL UNCLASSIFIED Page: 2
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Document Number: 2002 Channel: n/a B1
2. (C) POLCOUNS MET WITH) B1, B6
0777=u4TO DISCUbb THE DETENTION OF . NAVAL BASE B1 AT GUANTANAMO BAY. 1 !IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS THE
B6 FATHER OF I WHO HE SAID IS A B1, B6, B7(C) DETAINEE Ai tsUANLANAMU . HS SAW M6 WAS ALSO SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF A GROUP OF FAMILIES (INCLUDING HIS B1 OWN), SIX OF WHOM HAL SUNS inI.S. DETENTION AT GUANTANAMO AND FIVE IN AFGHANISTAN (BAGRAM AND KANDAHAR).
B1, B6
THE TWO SAID THEY HAD BEEN ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT THE EMBASSY BY1 B6
CONFIDENTIAL
B1
PAGE 03 01 OF 02 09103.2Z
3. (C) SAID HE BECAME AWARE THAT HIS SON WAS B6 BEING DETAINED AT GUANTANAMO BECAUSE OF LETTERS HE AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS RECEIVED FROM THEIR SONS THROUGH THE
B1
FOREIGN MINISTRY. SUBSEQUENTLY CONFIRMED THEIR STATUS ASDETAINEES WHEN THE FAMILIES INQUIRED ABOUT THEM. (NOTE: DID NOT ASK B6 POLCOUNS FOR CONFIRMATION OF HIS SON'S ON NOR FOR THE REASONS THE U.S. MAY BE HOLDING HIM; POLCOUNS DID NOT OFFER ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE DETAINEES.)
I
B6I
4. (C) 'CLAIMED THAT HIS SON HAD BEEN WORKING'.B6,B7(C)
. /WHEN HE WAS
DETAINED BY U.S. FORCES. HE SAID HE BELIEVED HIS SON'S
ERRONEOUS IDENTIFICATION AS A COMBATANT WAS INTENTIONAL;
HE CLAIMED THAT PAKISTANIS HAD FINGERED INNOCENT ARAB AID
WORKERS--INCLUDING HIS SON--AS "AFGHAN ARABS" WITH LINKS
TO THE TALIBAN OR AL-QAIDA IN ORDER TO OBTAIN REWARD
MONEY. HE ADDED THAT HIS SON HAD PREVIOUSLY MADE MANY
SIMILAR TRIPS TO PAKISTAN TO DIG WELLS AND PROVIDE
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF, GENERALLY LINKING UP WITH LOCAL
PAKISTANI AID ORGANIZATIONS WHEN HE ARRIVED IN COUNTRY.
HE SAID HE WAS NOT SURE WHICH ORGANIZATION HIS SON HAD
BEEN WORKING WITH THIS TIME, AND THAT HE WAS MAKING
Current Class: CONFIDENTIAL Page: 2
DOS-002479
UNCLASSIFIED
Current Class: CONFIDENTIAL UNCLASSIFIED Page: 4
Current Handling: n/a
Document Number: 2002 Channel: n/a
O 091017Z APRA:Hpc
FM AMEMBASSY
TO SECSTATE IMMEDIATE 1559
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO GCC COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 02 OF 02
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/12 TAGS: PTER, PK, AF,I1 SUBJECT: FATHER OF GUANTANAMO DETAINEE ASKS ABOUT HIS
SON'S STATUS; GROUP OFIDETAINEE FAMILIES FORMED
HAD VISITED GUANTANAMO TO CONFIRM THAT THE DETAINEES WERE
BEING PROPERLY TREATED.
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 lik02 OF 02 091035Z
7. (C)1 SKED SIX*QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE'I'DETAINEES:
-- HOW LONG WOULD THEY BE DETAINED?
-- HAD THEY BEEN ACCUSED OR CONVICTED OF ANY CRIMINAL
OFFENSES?
-- COULD FAMILY MEMBERS VISIT THEM AT GUANTANAMO?
--'COULD THE FAMILIES MAKE CONTACT WITH THEM THROUGH THE
U.S. EMBASSY?
-- WHY WERE U.S. CITIZENS BEING TREATED DIFFERENTLY FROM
NON-U.S. CITIZENS (I.E. NOT BEING HELD AT GUANTANAMO)?
-- IF ULTIMATELY EXONERATED, WOULD THE DETAINEES RECEIVE
FINANCIAL COMPENSATION?
8. (C) POLCOUNS OFFERED TO CONVEY THESE QUESTIONS TO
WASHINGTON, THOUGH HE DID NOT PROMISE AN ANSWER, NOTING
THAT THE ICRC WAS THE USUAL CHANNEL FOR INFORMATION ABOUT
DETAINEES. HE EXPLAINED THAT THOSE BEING HELD AT
GUANTANAMO WERE DETAINED AS ILLEGAL COMBATANTS IN THE
CONFLICT AGAINST TERRORISM THAT WAS STILL IN PROGRESS, AS
HAS BEEN PUBLICLY REPORTED. THE US MILITARY WAS STILL
INVESTIGATING THE ACTIVITIES OF THESE DETAINEES AND NO
DETERMINATION HAD YET BEEN MADE ON WHETHER OR WHEN TO
PROSECUTE THEM; THERE WAS NO WAY TO PREDICT HOW LONG THEY
MIGHT BE DETAINED. POLCOUNS SAID HE HAD NO INFORMATION
INDICATING THAT FAMILY MEMBERS WOULD BE ABLE TO VISIT THE
DETAINEES, THAT EMBASSIES WOULD BE CONVEYING INFORMATION
TO FAMILY MEMBERS, NOR THAT SOME DETAINEES MIGHT BE ABLE
TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL COMPENSATION SOMEDAY. HE
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UNCLASSIFIEDIDOS-002481
..• -4. Current Class: CONFIDENTIAL UNCLASSIFIED Page: 5
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Document Number: 2002 Channel: n/a
ENCOURAGED' I TO FULLY DISCLOSE ANY ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION HE MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THE DETAINEES'
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 02 OF 02 091035Z
ACTIVITIES.
9. (C)/
CONFIDENTIAL
« END OF DOCUMENT »
Current Class: CONFIDENTIAL Page: 5
UNCLASSIFIEDIDOS-002482