James Bone
June 15,
FOR seven long years in Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba, the four Central Asian friends gazed longingly at the azure sea from their cells. They were never allowed through the razor wire to paddle in the water.
Three Chinese ethnic Uighurs eat ice cream in Bermuda after their release from Guantanamo Bay. Picture: AP
Now, suddenly set free in Bermuda, the former terror suspects can watch the ocean at leisure from the pastel-pink clifftop holiday cottage where they are staying at US taxpayers' expense.
They have already taken a sunset swim and caught a fish at their first attempt at fishing. They have also reverted to their real names after using pseudonyms since leaving China.
The four fled to Afghanistan to escape political oppression in the poverty-stricken Xinjiang province of western China and then escaped from US bombing to the tribal regions of Pakistan, before being taken to Guantanamo. Now they are at leisure to marvel at the natural splendour of Britain's oldest colony.
"This is the first time I have seen such a beautiful place," Abdullah Abdulqadir, 30, said. "Our feelings are incredible. We did not think we were going to be this happy."
The four former Guantanamo inmates - members of China's Muslim Turkic-speaking Uighur minority - are dreaming of opening the first Uighur restaurant, serving noodles and lamb in the millionaires' playground.
"Uighur food is delicious. These kind and generous people of Bermuda, we want to do something for them. Of course, we want to have a Uighur restaurant," Mr Abdulqadir said.
Before setting up their own business, however, they will have to learn to fend for themselves. They got their watches back when they left Guantanamo and kept their copy of the Koran, but are penniless. Their Uighur translator is leaving tomorrow and they will have to rely on their Bermudan government minder.
In several weeks, the four will enter a government foreign worker programme to save up some money. Bermudian officials say they have already received five job offers for the men. The 800-strong Muslim community on the 70,000-person island has pledged to welcome them.
Britain is still conducting a "security assessment" on the men - Mr Abdulqadir, 30; Khalil Mamut, 31; Salahidin Abdulahat, 32, and Ablikim Turahan, 38 - before deciding whether to challenge the Bermudan Government's decision to admit them.
The Uighurs insist they are not part of any terror group, have never met Osama bin Laden, and had never heard of al-Qaeda until they got to Guantanamo.
"I'm not terrorist," Mr Mamut said in broken English learned from his US guards. "I've not been a terrorist. I'll never be terrorist. I want to live peacefully." Read more here,,,
They have already taken a sunset swim and caught a fish at their first attempt at fishing. They have also reverted to their real names after using pseudonyms since leaving China.
The four fled to Afghanistan to escape political oppression in the poverty-stricken Xinjiang province of western China and then escaped from US bombing to the tribal regions of Pakistan, before being taken to Guantanamo. Now they are at leisure to marvel at the natural splendour of Britain's oldest colony.
"This is the first time I have seen such a beautiful place," Abdullah Abdulqadir, 30, said. "Our feelings are incredible. We did not think we were going to be this happy."
The four former Guantanamo inmates - members of China's Muslim Turkic-speaking Uighur minority - are dreaming of opening the first Uighur restaurant, serving noodles and lamb in the millionaires' playground.
"Uighur food is delicious. These kind and generous people of Bermuda, we want to do something for them. Of course, we want to have a Uighur restaurant," Mr Abdulqadir said.
Before setting up their own business, however, they will have to learn to fend for themselves. They got their watches back when they left Guantanamo and kept their copy of the Koran, but are penniless. Their Uighur translator is leaving tomorrow and they will have to rely on their Bermudan government minder.
In several weeks, the four will enter a government foreign worker programme to save up some money. Bermudian officials say they have already received five job offers for the men. The 800-strong Muslim community on the 70,000-person island has pledged to welcome them.
Britain is still conducting a "security assessment" on the men - Mr Abdulqadir, 30; Khalil Mamut, 31; Salahidin Abdulahat, 32, and Ablikim Turahan, 38 - before deciding whether to challenge the Bermudan Government's decision to admit them.
The Uighurs insist they are not part of any terror group, have never met Osama bin Laden, and had never heard of al-Qaeda until they got to Guantanamo.
"I'm not terrorist," Mr Mamut said in broken English learned from his US guards. "I've not been a terrorist. I'll never be terrorist. I want to live peacefully." Read more here,,,
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