By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/china1torture022610.html
UNITED NATIONS, February 26 -- With China having protested Switzerland's decision to accept from Guantanamo Bay two Uighurs, Inner City Press asked both China diplomats and UN counter terrorism officials about the case. The officials, from the UN's Committee on Security Council Resolution 1267, dodged the question by pointing to the narrow scope of their work.
Inner City Press asked, is the East Turkestan Islamic Movement on the 1267 list, does it exist, and are its alleged members supposed to be return to the accusing country, China?
The answer was that the 1267 committee only deals with travel bans and asset freezes. It was said that perhaps the U.S. and China had a duty to notify the Committee -- until it was explain that the two Uighurs are not named on the list. Organizational bans do not automatically apply to all of a group's members, they said.
The Chinese diplomats were more straight forward. "I am always amazed why America does this -- if the two are no threat, settle them here, this is an immigration country. But if you think they are dangerous for national security, as we believe, then why not return them to us?"
Inner City Press responded that some of the Uighurs, it seems, were just leather jacket merchants in Afghanistan. The Chinese diplomat said, "some re-engage in terrorism. Under the Bush administration, America invited Chinese police to Guantanamo Bay to talk to these guys. Now they say the two would be tortured in China. But they have already been tortured in Guantanamo Bay. We cannot beat the record of the Americans."
A second Chinese diplomat walked over. "And now the Americans ask us to cooperate," he said, shaking his head.
Footnote: China's Mission to the UN is, it seems, boycotting effort to impose more sanctions on Iran. The Number One is leaving, and the Number Two, while smiling, is leaving too. Is Hillary Clinton's timeline of an Iran resolution in 30 to 60 days realistic? Watch this site.
