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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #1137/01 3091107
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 041107Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5713
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

S E C R E T TUNIS 001137 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA A/S WELCH AND L A/S BELLINGER 
NEA ALSO FOR CRETZ, NEA/MAG:WILLIAMS, NARDI, PATTERSON, 
HAYES 
DRL:MCGEENEY, S/WCI:RICCI 
DEFENSE FOR DOD/OSD:LIOTTA 
JUSTICE FOR DOJ/ODAG:STRANSKY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2028 
TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM KDRG TS
SUBJECT: (S) TUNISIAN GUANTANAMO DETAINEES:  WHAT NEXT? 
 
REF: A. TUNIS 1110 
     ¶B. STATE 103775 
     ¶C. STATE 91304 AND PREVIOUS 
     ¶D. SECTO 8 
     ¶E. TUNIS 1052 
     ¶F. TUNIS 1007 
     ¶G. TUNIS 992 
     ¶H. TUNIS 973 
     ¶I. TUNIS 193 
     ¶J. TUNIS 042 
     ¶K. 07 TUNIS 1483 
     ¶L. 07 TUNIS 1060 
     ¶M. 07 TUNIS 967 
     ¶N. 07 TUNIS 964 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (S/NF) Over the last two years, GOT officials have said 
Guantanamo detainees transferred to Tunisia will not be 
tortured or mistreated.  President Ben Ali reiterated this 
"promise" to the Secretary in September.  They have denied 
reports that one of the detainees transferred in 2007 was 
mistreated.  The Embassy believes, however, the reports are 
credible.  While GOT assurances offer some protection to 
future transferees, they are likely to face similar 
treatment.  We do not believe further assurances from GOT 
officials will change this.  While obtaining access to the 
first two transferees may remind some GOT officials of their 
obligations regarding treatment, we are unlikely to get 
information we do not already have.  If Washington agencies 
wish to pursue access, we believe a telephone call from the 
Secretary to President Ben Ali will be necessary.  Our 
conclusion: we are at the end of the road regarding 
assurances from the GOT.  Now we must decide whether to 
transfer more detainees or seek another course.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------ 
2006-2007: GOT Assurances 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (S/NF) From late 2006 to mid-2007, the US Government 
received a variety of assurances from the GOT regarding the 
transfer of Tunisian detainees at Guantanamo.  In November 
2006, the Ministers of Justice and Interior offered oral 
assurances about Tunisia's obligations under the Convention 
Against Torture and noted to an interagency delegation led by 
S/WCI Ambassador Williamson that many of the detainees faced 
in absentia charges.  The Minister of Justice also provided 
oral assurances about third party access (i.e., the ICRC) to 
detainees in the Tunisian prison system.  In 2007, Minister 
of State and Presidential Advisor Ben Dhia confirmed these 
assurances to the Ambassador and subsequently reiterated them 
in a letter to Deputy Secretary of State Negroponte.  The 
exchanges paved the way for the June 2007 transfer of the 
first two detainees to GOT custody. 
 
----------------------- 
Reports of Mistreatment 
----------------------- 
 
¶3. (S/NF) Following the transfer, NGOs alleged that the two 
detainees, Abdallah Ben Omar (al-Hajji) and Lotfi Ben Swei 
Lagha, had been tortured and mistreated by GOT security 
forces.  As a result of the allegations, the Ambassador 
demarched Foreign Minister Abdallah, Minister of Interior 
Belhaj Kacem and Presidential Advisor Ben Dhia regarding GOT 
assurances.  (Note: The GOT declined to facilitate a meeting 
for the Ambassador with Minister of Justice Tekkari.  End 
note.)  All reiterated that Tunisia is a signatory of the 
Convention Against Torture (CAT) and would respect it. 
Abdallah and Kacem dismissed the allegations of torture.  To 
our knowledge, there was no GOT investigation into reports of 
the detainees' mistreatment.  Further, the ministers did not 
indicate that any future transfers will be handled 
differently to avoid such accusations. 
 
¶4. (S/NF) Ben Omar's lawyer (the source of these NGO reports) 
later clarified that, while Ben Omar was mistreated (slapped) 
and threatened (that he and his family members would be 
raped), he was not "tortured."  Post received reports that 
Ben Omar has been subject to psychological mistreatment, 
including most recently on September 8 when Emboffs met with 
his family.  Our assessment remains that these claims of 
mistreatment are credible.  According to the same lawyer, who 
represents both detainees, and his own brother, Ben Swei 
Lagha has not been subject to any mistreatment although he 
was reportedly held in solitary confinement for weeks after 
his transfer.  Emboffs met with Lagha's brother September 8. 
 
------------------------ 
2008: New GOT Assurances 
------------------------ 
 
¶5. (S/NF) In February 2008, NEA A/S David Welch met with 
President Ben Qi and asked for his commitment to accept the 
Tunisian detainees still in GuantanQo.  BQAli responded 
that the GOT would accept the detainees and do so on the 
basis of the Tunisian constitution.  (NB. The Tunisian 
constitution offers guarantees on human rights, humane 
treatment, and respect for international commitments.)  On 
August 30, the Ambassador delivered a new letter from the 
Deputy Secretary to Ben Dhia.  Ben Dhia's written reply 
consisted of sending a copy of the letter he wrote in 2007 
before the return of the two detainees already transferred. 
 
¶6. (S/NF) On September 6, Secretary Rice asked Ben Ali for 
his personal assurances that the Tunisians transferred from 
Guantanamo would be treated humanely.  Ben Ali: 
-- said the detainees have no reason to fear torture in 
Tunisia, 
-- affirmed they are not being tortured, and that there would 
be no abuse or mistreatment of them, 
-- offered to allow US officials to visit the transferees in 
prison. 
 
¶7. (S/NF) Following the Secretary's visit, the Embassy 
requested permission to visit the two transferees in Tunisia. 
 MFA officials told the Ambassador September 24 that Ben Ali 
had not offered to allow US officials to visit the 
transferees and that it was against Tunisian law for anyone 
other than the family and lawyers to meet with Tunisian 
prisoners.  A/S Welch asked FM Abdallah on September 27 to 
raise the question of US access with Ben Ali.  Abdallah told 
the Ambassador October 18 that access would not be allowed 
and that Ben Ali had given the Secretary his "promise" there 
would be no mistreatment.  Abdallah said that even a 
"discreet visit" would be pointless since the purpose of 
access would be to assuage NGO and public opinion.  He said, 
however, he would raise the question "again" with Ben Ali. 
 
---------- 
Next Steps 
---------- 
 
¶8. (S/NF) In our view, there are two questions before 
Washington agencies.  First, should we continue to press for 
access to the detainees already in Tunisia?  While access may 
remind some GOT officials of their obligations regarding the 
detainees, we consider it unlikely that a visit will provide 
us with information that we have not already obtained from 
their relatives and lawyer.  If Washington wishes to pursue 
access, we have these options: 
 
-- The Ambassador or NEA A/S Welch could approach FM Abdallah 
again and ask if he has talked with Ben Ali to confirm 
whether the President would permit US access to the 
transferees. 
 
-- If the answer is delayed or access continues to be denied, 
then the Secretary would need to telephone Ben Ali.  We doubt 
that a letter would result in any change in position. 
 
¶9. (S/NF) Second, should we accept Tunisian assurances and 
transfer additional detainees?  There are three key points. 
 
-- Over the last two years, the United States has received 
many GOT assurances that Guantanamo detainees would not be 
tortured or mistreated and would be treated in accordance 
with the Tunisian constitution.  The most important of these 
assurances is also the newest, from Ben Ali to the Secretary. 
 We believe these assurances offer some protection to 
transferred detainees. 
 
-- Despite the early GOT commitments, it is likely that Ben 
Omar was mistreated.  While GOT officials deny the reports, 
this is clear: in no case has a GOT official acknowledged 
that if Ben Omar had been threatened or slapped it would have 
been wrong.  Indeed, the most frequent response has been to 
emphasize that the detainees deserve to be in prison.  Given 
this, and despite Ben Ali's statements, we believe future 
transferees are likely to face treatment similar to the first 
two. 
 
-- Finally, we have obtained all we can from the GOT by way 
of assurances on the treatment of transferees.  In recent 
exchanges, GOT officials are increasingly testy and 
difficult.  The risk of a counterproductive response is 
growing.  We are at the end of the road on Tunisian 
assurances.  Now we must decide whether to transfer more 
detainees or seek another course. 
 
Please visit Embassy Tunis' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/tunis/index.c fm 
GODEC