Secret US diplomatic cables obtained by Wikileaks reveal that the Maldives agreed to resettle detainees from Guantanamo Bay in return for American help with obtaining assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to the New York Times.
The paper reports that the cache of correspondence made public by Wikileaks reveals that “American diplomats went looking for countries that were not only willing to take in former prisoners but also could be trusted to keep them under close watch.
“In a global bazaar of sorts, the American officials sweet-talked and haggled with their foreign counterparts in an effort to resettle the detainees who had been cleared for release but could not be repatriated for fear of mistreatment.
It reveals that while the Bush Administration offered the South Pacific nation Kiribati an “incentive package” of US$3 million to take 17 Chinese Muslim detainees, “the Maldives tied acceptance of prisoners to American help in obtaining International Monetary Fund assistance.”
The EU observer meanwhile reported that Washington’s special envoy on Guantanamo resettlements, Daniel Fried, told ”politicians in the Maldives that other states had received US$25,000 to US$85,000 per detainee to cover temporary living expenses and other costs” and that ”the Maldives could expect something toward the upper end of the range.”
In December last year, President Mohamed Nasheed announced that the Maldives had offered to resettle two detainees from Guantanamo Bay.
“If a Muslim does not have a place to live in freedom, we will help in whatever way we can. We don’t want anyone to suffer any harm,” Nasheed then said. “We know that the Maldives, in helping just three people from Guantanamo Bay, does not mean that either the Maldives or the world would be free of inhumane treatment,” he said. “However this jail, Guantanamo jail, is very symbolic.”
Nasheed said at the time that as a result of resettling the detainees “the country will get a good name, honour and prestige. We will be noted as people who help in whatever capacity we can to help solve others’ problems.”
The decision was met with fierce opposition from the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party-People’s Alliance coalition in parliament, which conducted national security committee hearings on the subject.
Foreign minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed told Minivan News at the time that “the United States has not come with a bag full of money and said: ‘here’s your reward for doing this’, but because we work with the US on this and other issues, they will try to help us where we need help.”
He added that the decision was not made on a ”quid pro quo basis”.
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Sounds like a good deal to me.
Help to innocent detainees, and a Palestinian at that.
While Maldives ends up getting help to stabalize its economy through assistance by IMF.
a win win situation.
for a moment i wondered wheather there had been any threats or such, this sounds quite tame and good.
Hey Dr Shaheed, you was trying to get some money with that deal right? You thief.
Hey Dr Shaheed, you were trying to get some money with that deal right? You thief.
Oh dear.
How do we strike a balance between 'helping poor Palestinian Muslim brother' and making a deal with 'Satan' America?
I must remark on the way that the President had to play the 'Muslim' card to make the deal sound instantly acceptable. Smart man.
Interesting. Until now we were told by President Nasheed and Foreign Minister Shaheed that bringing the detainees had nothing to do with money but everything to do with helping our Muslim brothers. Now we know that it has everything to do with money to support the ever increasing bureaucracy of our tiny nation. A country which now has more political appointees than any other democracy in the world.
I am ashamed that we have fallen to such a low. Now we go begging saying "we will house your terrorist if you get us a loan". Hey that will look good on a Teeshirt...
Gosh ...just for USD 85K.. In the pretext of helping a Muslim brother
Ohhhhhhhhhhh Myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!
I knew something was cooking!
yaamyn? another one of you 'conspiracy theories' floating on the wild ocean?
@Foreign Minister & Anni
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESIGN nowwwww!
You, you, you cheat...you you..(censored)!
@yaamyn
Hey! Why are you blushing? I can see your face turned red!
Oh, C'mon, now, no need to be shy.
We all knew Anni and the Foreign Minister were frauds from the beginning!
You..you..you..(censored) (censored)(censored)!!
@heck
you're a fraud? you've confirmed my suspicions.
@heck
you sound like an excited 4 year old girl. hahahahaaa.
@ibrahim
"you sound like an excited 4 year old girl. hahahahaaa."
Sorry, Mom! That phone's speaker! Remember you WASHED the hand set yesterday with my trousers! Keekeeeekee!
Will fix it when I get home, after office today.
Luv you, Mom! Bye!
Ignore heck, he just likes to attract attention.
Mathin bain jehigen trying to answer every comment, he seems to be a very lonely boy.
action for money that is all
How much for a detainee Mr.Government? Last time you said you were just helping a fellow muslim brother. No mention of the money or the IMF Assistance Plea to the US. Ever wonder why the IMF does not want to give us money?
@heck
hahhaha. internet mavotaaa!!
yes Ahmed. the girl is an attention seeking kid. better ignore him.. maybe mommy is not home.
buhahahaha...mdp is trying all they can to grab money from where ever they can...what a bunch of greedy clowns ..mdp has already destroyed a nation completely.. shame!!
Just see how the US is manipulating small and poor countries of the world for their own domestic political gain! If they are sure that those prisoners are innocent, y don't they give them US green card and let them live there? Being the most technologically advanced country in the world, they can sure look after the ex-prisoners better than we can.
@Aicha,
Spot on.
Hey Hey cmon guyz, nothing goes free in this world. This deal is very good for Maldives. We get the money and we can save our Muslim brothers from that cell. Why do you guyz relate everything to party politics. Just think good side of this deal and think responsibly. Are you guyz nutz. Who would say publicly that US would support Maldives IMF loan accepting the deal. Cmon you guyz are not five year old kids. This is international diplomacy. Wake up people. Each and every responsible leader would do the same not only ANNI. Do you think everything should be disclosed to the public and get their approval, if so why do you need a president. A symbolic figure huh!!!!!
All the reason to believe DRP is on the right track. If not for them, Dr.Shaheed and Anni would have got the bribe and got away with it and we will end up with a potential terrorist roaming freely on our streets.
Have anyone commenting here read this cable about Maldives
This proves that Anni and Dr.Shaheed are big fat LIARS!
Resign now! Do these two crooks have no shame selling everything we own?
At this rate I am sure the next thing left for auction would be their -amaa menge- fattaru bai?
Resign now you too SWINDLERS! Before the public puts you on jumble sale at Sagaru Park!
@Anni
Here kitty, kitty!
Some money here! Here kitty!
Down boy! Down!
Dr.Shaheed the great spinner trying despirate to get some money or "cut"!! Dr.Shaheed or Dr.Spinner or Dr.Janaaza Kudey was (in Gayoom Cabinet) and is (current cabinet) a spinner and master corrupt man! He never love this country but want for his personal benefit fame and money! He have sent all his relatives (Japan embassy, China ...etc) to embassy posts and also his Hill & kno friends in Geneva which he is paying filthy rich salaries just to write his speeches or do his spinning internationally! We need a sincere and people foreign minister!
Its Ok for Maldivian islamic extremists to accept funds from international terrorists for building their businesses. But not OK for the government to accept a muslim (we dont know whether he is an extremist or not) in return for much needed support. Islamic Extremists seem to be doing a pretty good job in this country getting funds to promote "islam" as taught by whoever is funding them. So whats the big Hoo Haa with this one.
Dr. Shaheed, this makes one wonder whether you have ever told a truth in you life. Is your PHD a lie too??? well one wonders. What was the point of hiding the truth? Guess you wanted to keep the job, Nasheed's puppet.
Akka liars!!
@Aicha
"for a moment i wondered wheather there had been any threats or such, this sounds quite tame and good."
Who? The hungry crocodile you are sitting on? Yeah,yeah, they don't even bite! Go ahead. Pull it's tail.
@ 4K
"But not OK for the government to accept a muslim (we dont know whether he is an extremist or not) in return for much needed support."
Ballawaa, Azeez! Take him to "misru ge baazaar" and raise his price!
@Aicha,
Thats a good one.
@ Z-nut
"Thats a good one."
Yes I agree. She was all skins and bones, but who cares? The crocodile wasn't fed for weeks when she took it for a tame and harmless thing.
Serves her right! She was too naive to notice the danger.
“If a Muslim does not have a place to live in freedom, we will help in whatever way we can..."
Isn't that why they were blowing up all those bombs in the first place?
Just because you're a muslim and you do things in the name of islam, that doesn't mean its justified, Mr. president.