US holds UK inmate at Guantanamo

The British have called for the US to release Shaker Aamer from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but the US refuses arguing the man is a top Bin Laden associate who incites trouble and controls the other inmates.

Aamer is a British resident being held at Guantanamo as an alleged senior al- Qaeda operative, according to new information found in documents leaked by WikiLeaks. According to the documents the inmate boasts control over the other inmates, incites hunger strikes actively makes false allegations, and a former close associate of Osama Bin Laden himself. It further alleges he was once a key member of a London al-Qaeda cell. He was apparently a former roommate of 9/11 plotter Zaccarias Moussaoui. Aamer has alleged that in his detention at Guantanamo he was tortured and was mistreated when he was captured and taken to the prison at Bagram airbase. His file shows that Guantanamo authorities were likely hostile towards him. “Detainee is unco-operative and continues to withhold information of intelligence value about his extremist activities and associations. Detainee has failed to fully account for his travels and high-level associates which have been reported by other JTF-GTMO detainees,” it read. “Detainee is extremely egotistical, has manipulated debriefers and guard staff, and will continue to attempt to do so to support his political agenda. Detainee refuses to participate in direct questioning, often citing imaginary or assumed mistreatment of himself, or others, as justification of this refusal in a classic example of al-Qaida counter-interrogation techniques."The file also, citing other inmates, alleges Aamer controls the other inmates, actively passes information and even orders other inmates to commit suicide.British foreign minister William Hague however has actively called for his return to the UK. Alleging torture and illegal activities, Hague has argued he want to “put right” Aamer detention.If release, Aamer would likely not be prosecuted because UK authorities would not utilize any information or evidence obtained by means of torture. Cables released by WikiLeaks show a number of British diplomatic officials have been actively seeking Aamer’s release. They further indicate there is no plan to prosecute him once returned to the UK or to his native Saudi Arabia. “He [Robert Chatterton-Dixon, Foreign Office's counter-terrorism head] reiterated the British request for Aamer's release and return to the UK and did not believe Aamer would be subject to British or Saudi criminal proceedings on his return," indicated a leaked cable.