US News
Albania agrees to resettle five ethinic Uighurs at Guantanamo
By DPA
May 6, 2006, 19:00 GMT

Washington - Albania has agreed to accept five of the 15 ethnic Uighurs from China who are being held at the Guantanamo prison camp at the US naval installation on the island of Cuba, the US State Department said Friday.

The US military long ago determined that the Uighurs, captured in Afghanistan, were no longer a security threat to the United States. But the US government was reluctant to return them to China over concerns they could face religious persecution.

They have been held at the Guantanamo facility, which was built to house prisoners in the war on terrorism, since 2002. The US State Department has been looking for suitable third countries to send the Uighurs.

\'The Government of Albania\'s resettlement of these individuals is an important humanitarian gesture,\' State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. \'The United States government appreciates the assistance of the government of Albania in this important matter.\'