Emails between State Department officials concerning Swedish press reports on the detention of Mehdi Mohammad Ghezali at Guantanamo. The email is mostly redacted.
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Bl, 1.4(B), 1.4(D), B5, B6, B7(A), B7(C)
LR131
Dolan, JoAnn
To:: Bisharat, Henry; Cagan, Debraa BI. B5, B6, 137(A), B7(C)
Cc:: Fitzpatrick. Kathleen M (EUR); Waslev, Liam J(Stockholm)
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY: SHARON E AHMAD
1 CLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL REASON: 1.4(13), 1.4(D) DECLASSIFY AFTER: 4 SEP 2012 UNCLASSIFIED DOS 002813 DATE/CASE ID: 27 DEC 2004 200303827
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B1.116. B7(A), B7(C)
Sweden Puts Renewed Pressure on US Over Swedish Taliban
EUP20020904000276 Stockholm Svenska Dagbladet in Swedish 4 Sep 02 p 9
[Report by Fredrik Engstrom: "Sweden Demands Answers from US on Cuba Prisoner"]
[FBIS Translated Text] The Swedish government has had enough of a lack of answers from the American government on the imprisoned Swede on Cuba. Yesterday [3 September] the US Ambassador was called to the Foreign Ministry. The 23-year-old Swede was arrested on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan in December of last year. A month later he was flown to Guantanamo Bay Base on Cuba. The US suspects that he belongs to the terrorist network al-Qaida. Yesterday, US Ambassador Charles Heimbold was called to the Swedish Foreign Ministry to answer questions. Cabinet Secretary Hans Dahlgren demanded answers to three questions:
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What is the 23-year old accused of?
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What does the continued legal process look like?
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Have the letters that were sent to him from family arrived?
The meeting between the Ambassador and the Cabinet Secretary took place a month after the US Charge d'Affaires was called to the Foreign Ministry on the same matter. The result of that meeting was American
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silence. The purpose was also to propose a meeting with the young Swede on Cuba. The only Swedish visit the prisoner had was in mid-February when the Swedisi-. Ambassador in Washington and a person from the Security Police visited the camp. Earlier Foreign Minister Anna Lindh demanded an answer from her American counterpart Colin Powell as to what will happen to the Swede. Silence. The prisoner's father, Mehdi Ghezali, told Svenska Dagbladet yesterday that he intended to demonstrate in Sergels Torg [a square in downtown Stockholm]. He will sit in a steel cage just as small as the one his son is being held in. The protest, which will last two weeks, was to begin yesterday, but was postponed for technical reasons until today.
The police have no objections to the action. "He can stay there for two weeks. Then Sergels Torg will be taken up by others," said Lars Bjohle, head of the permission unit. Peter Althin, the father's legal representative and a Christian Democratic candidate for parliament, has criticized the Swedish government for being passive. "It is good that something is happening. But it is strange that it happens after the father reported his protest and I said Sweden should withdraw its Ambassador from Washington as a signal. I understand that the government wants to be careful with its pressure in the initial stages. But, now, eight months later, it is not enough," said Althin.
[Description of Source: Stockholm Svenska Dagbladet in Swedish -- national, center-right daily, close to the Moderate Party]
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