DOS Memo re: Press Guidance on Answering Questions About Transfer of Six Bosnian Detainees

Error message

  • Deprecated function: Return type of DBObject::current() should either be compatible with Iterator::current(): mixed, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in require_once() (line 7 of /usr/home/documentafterliv/public_html/sites/all/modules/contrib/eck/eck.classes.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Return type of DBObject::next() should either be compatible with Iterator::next(): void, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in require_once() (line 7 of /usr/home/documentafterliv/public_html/sites/all/modules/contrib/eck/eck.classes.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Return type of DBObject::key() should either be compatible with Iterator::key(): mixed, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in require_once() (line 7 of /usr/home/documentafterliv/public_html/sites/all/modules/contrib/eck/eck.classes.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Return type of DBObject::valid() should either be compatible with Iterator::valid(): bool, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in require_once() (line 7 of /usr/home/documentafterliv/public_html/sites/all/modules/contrib/eck/eck.classes.inc).
  • Deprecated function: Return type of DBObject::rewind() should either be compatible with Iterator::rewind(): void, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in require_once() (line 7 of /usr/home/documentafterliv/public_html/sites/all/modules/contrib/eck/eck.classes.inc).

State Department talking points on answering questions concerning the transfer of six (6) Bosnian detainees from Bosnia to Guantanamo.

Doc_type: 
Non-legal Memo
Doc_date: 
Tuesday, January 22, 2002
Doc_rel_date: 
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Doc_text: 

UNCLASSIFIED
EUR Press Guidance RELEASED IN PART January 22, 2002
Bl, 1.4(D)
BOSNIA: TRANSFER OF SIX DETAINEES
Q: Any comment on reports that the U.S. has taken into custody six individuals with suspected links to Al-Qaida?
A: - - U.S. MILITARY FORCES IN BOSNIA ON JANUARY 18 TOOK CUSTODY OF SIX PERSONS SUSPECTED OF TERRORIST LINKS.
— I REFER YOU TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR DETAILS.
- - THE U.S. APPRECIATES THE CLOSE COOPERATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA AND ITS LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES IN THIS MATTER.
Q: Where are they now? Will they be sent to Guantanamo Bay?
A. — U.S. FORCES TRANSPORTED THE SIX SUSPECTED TERRORISTS FROM BOSNIA ON JANUARY 19. THEY HAVE NOW ARRIVED IN GUANTANAMO BAY. I WOULD REFER YOU TO DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE CLASSIFIED BY DEPT. OF STATE, L. R. LOHMAN, DAS, A/RPS REVIEW AUTHORITY: ARCHIE M BOLSTER CLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL REASON: 1.4(D) DECLASSIFY AFTER: 21 JAN 2012

DATE/CASE ID: 21 DEC 2004 200303827
UNCLASSIFIED

DOS-001074
1111111111.1.1111.11111111111....mmm----

UNCLASSIFIED
Q: What are their links to Al-Qaida?
A: — BECAUSE OUR INVESTIGATION INTO THEIR ACTIVITIES IS CONTINUING, I CANNOT COMMENT ON WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THEIR LINKS TO THE AL-QAIDA TERRORIST NETWORK.
Q: Why weren't they handed over to SFOR?
A: - - THE TRANSFER OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WAS IN RESPONSE TO A BILATERAL REQUEST FROM THE UNITED STATES.
Q: What nationality are they?
A: - -ALL SIX ARE ALGERIAN NATIONALS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT, WHILE FIVE OF THEM HAD ALSO HELD BOSNIAN CITIZENSHIP, BOSNIAN AUTHORITIES TOOK STEPS TO REVOKE THAT CITIZENSHIP AND THE ISSUE WAS LITIGATED.
Q: What does the Algerian government have to say about this?
A: — WE INFORMED THE GOVERNMENT OF THIS ACTION. I DIRECT YOU TO THAT GOVERNMENT FOR COMMENT.
+-H-+++-H-+++++++-1--H-4-1-+-H-++++-H-++-HH-+++-F++++++-H-+++++
BACKGROUND:In October, Bosnian authorities at U.S. urging
detained six persons believed to be preparing an attack on
the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo.] BI

ThDe
suspects were scheduled to be released on January 18. BI

UNCLASSIFIEIE1 D
F
DOS-001075
UNCLASSIFIED

'Cill and the threat that the individuals therefore
.

o U.S. forces and civilians in Bosnia, release was
determined to be unacceptable. The U.S. therefore decided
to take them into custody and transfer them out of Bosnia.
The suspects left Bosnia on January 19 and arrived in
Guantanamo Bay on January 20.

DOS-001076

UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED

DRAFTED: EUR/SCE/BI - Raffi Gregorian 647-4195
CLEARED: EUR/FO JBOGUE EUR/FO:JBENTON OK P:SCURRAN OK D:TKAIDANOW OK S/CT:TMAERTENS OK NEA/ENA:BSTANTON OK L/EUR:JDOROSIN OK

UNCLASSIFIED DOS-001077

United States Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520
Case No. 200303827
Segment L008

Mr. Amrit Singh

DEC 2. 3 2004
American Civil Liberties Foundation

125 Broad Street, 18th Floor

New York, NY 10004-2400

Dear Mr. Singh:

I refer to our previous correspondence regarding the release

of certain Department of State material that you had

requested under the Freedom of Information Act (Title 5 USC

Section 552) in your letters of October 7, 2003, and May 25,

2004.

We have retrieved 137 additional documents from the Office of
the Legal Adviser that appear responsive to your request.
They have been grouped as Segment L008. The search in the
other files has been completed, and we will let you know as
the review of the various segments has been accomplished.

After reviewing the documents of Segment L008, we have
determined that 10 may be released in full, 10 may be
released with excisions, and 82 may not be released. The
released documents are enclosed. A decision on one document
requires interagency or intra-agency coordination. We will
inform you when we receive the results of that coordination.
Thirty-four documents originated with other government
agencies and have been referred to those agencies for review
and direct reply to you.

The material in the excised portions of nine of the
documents released in part and in 49 of the documents
withheld in full is currently and properly classified under
Executive Order 12958 in the interest of national defense or
foreign relations. As such, it is exempt from release under
subsection (b)(1) of the Freedom of Information Act.

Information in 54 documents withheld in full is exempt from
release under subsection (b) (5) of the Freedom of

Information Act because it is protected by the deliberative
process privilege, attorney client privilege, attorney work
product privilege, and/or another privilege incorporated by
subsection (b)(5).

The material in two of the documents withheld in full is
information compiled for law enforcement purposes which, if
produced, could reasonably be expected to interfere with
enforcement proceedings. As such, it is exempt from release
under subsection (b)(7)(A) of the Freedom of Information
Act.

The material in the excised portions of two of the documents
released in part is information compiled for law enforcement
purposes which, if produced, could reasonably be expected to
constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. As
such, it is exempt from release under subsection (b)(7)(C)
of the Freedom of Information Act.

In some cases, two or more exemptions apply to the same
document. In the case of a document released in part, all
non-exempt material that is reasonably segregable from the
exempt material has been released.

Sincerely,

Margaret P. Grafeld
Director
Office of Information Programs
and Services

Enclosures:
As stated.

Doc_nid: 
6159
Doc_type_num: 
63