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INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 3273
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0001
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1239
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 0072
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RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 0792
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RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA 0069
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 5752
RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO 0722
RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 4501
RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 3265
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0929
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0759
RUEHPS/AMEMBASSY PRISTINA 3750
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3518
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2403
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 TIRANA 000411 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL AL
SUBJECT: UIGHURS (AND OTHERS) IN ALBANIA 
 
REF: 05/08/2008 KOTHEIMER-THIEDE E-MAILS 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
¶1.  (SBU)  The Government of Albania accepted eight former 
Guantanamo detainees as refugees -- five Uighurs, and one 
each Algerian, Egyptian, and Uzbek.  All the refugees now 
live outside Albania's Babrru Refugee Center in apartments 
rented for them by the GOA.  The GOA is providing language 
and vocational training.  It pays the refugees a monthly 
stipend.  The former detainees have faced some bureaucratic 
hurdles in documentation and receipt of assistance.  The GOA 
has appointed a social worker to assist them, but his powers 
are limited  These benefits ermanent housing, jobs, and documentation 
which allows travel.  They, their lawyers, and the ICRC have 
contacted the Embassy.  Poloffs met with two of the refugees 
on May 21.  END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------------ 
CURRENT STATUS OF THE REFUGEES 
------------------------------ 
¶2.  (U)  As is publicly known, the GOA has hosted eight 
former detainees since their release from Guantanamo.  Five 
Uighurs arrived in Albania in May 2006.  An Uzbek, Algerian 
and Egyptian arrived in November of that year.  The former 
detainees have acquired refugee status and have relocated 
from the Babrru Refugee Center.  Most have studied Albanian, 
and some speak it with some comfort.  The Uzbek speaks 
excellent English; one Uighur and the Algerian may also speak 
English.  The GOA has begun a second course of Albanian 
language studies for all but the Egyptian, who has requested 
an Albanian-Arabic speaker for a teacher.  The UNHCR has 
agreed to try to find such an individual.  Three Uighurs are 
taking vocational training as auto mechanics.  Two refugees 
are regular participants in the Tirana Hash House Harriers, 
which has a Russian-speaking "club" where they have been 
welcomed. 
 
¶3.  (U)  One Uighur, the Algerian and the Uzbek are studying 
at the private University of New York in Tirana.  According 
to the Uzbek at a May 21 meeting with Poloffs, the studies of 
all three individuals are funded by friends or relatives 
outside Albania.  The GOA found apartments for the refugees, 
who all live in the same building, according to the ICRC. 
The GOA recently increased the monthly stipend to the 
refugees to 40,000 lek (about $510), which is their allotment 
to pay for phone and electricity charges, rent, and all 
expenses.  (The increase resulted from the increased cost of 
living.)  The eighth refugee, a Uighur, was able to travel to 
Sweden, where he has a sister, and has sought asylum there 
according to local media reports.  The GOA also appointed a 
social worker, Mr. Drini, to help the refugees integrate. 
Similar benefits are not available to other refugees in 
Albania. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The Egyptian, who has a Sudanese family, is, 
according to ICRC representatives, the most challenging case 
with a "complicated personality."  In a December 2007 meeting 
with Pol-econ chief, Matthias Weinreich, the ICRC-Skopje head 
 
TIRANA 00000411  002 OF 006 
 
 
of mission who leads efforts for the detainees, was concerned 
that the Egyptian might be unstable.  In May 2008, Weinreich 
had a longer conversation with the refugee through a 
translator and found his condition improved.  However, the 
Egyptian has few local contacts outside the mosque and is not 
seeking work.  (Note:  Weinreich is not a medical 
professional.  He has long experience in refugee work and 
seeks to be objective.  He speaks Russian and Arabic and so 
can interact directly with some of the refugees.) 
 
---------------- 
OUTSIDE INTEREST 
---------------- 
¶5.  (SBU)  The ICRC has helped with reintegration since May 
2006, originally visiting approximately every two months with 
a small team, including professional Uighur and Arabic 
translators.  Alternate visits were without interpretation. 
We learned of ICRC's involvement and met Weinreich in 
December 2007; we saw him again in May 2008.  ICRC shares the 
findings of its visits with Albanian authorities and the 
UNHCR in Albania.  The ICRC's interest in the refugees was to 
facilitate initial steps of integration into host country 
society.  Weinreich told us the ICRC would be closing its 
Macedonia office.  He may remain through 2008, and if so he 
would visit the refugees again.  However, ICRC contact with 
the refugees will decline under any circumstances. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Post has also been contacted by various lawyers 
for the refugees.  Asked by some of them to find an 
appropriate USG contact point, we learned from Department 
(ref) that post should not engage directly with the lawyers. 
We shared the Department of Justice contact provided by 
Department and informed them of our inability to continue 
direct contacts.  We have also heard sporadically from 
journalists interested in the case and from private citizens 
who want to help the refugees.  We have been unable to 
provide much assistance or information in these cases. 
ICRC's Weinreich was pleased to learn of the lawyers' 
interest as he said they would be a more appropriate contact 
for the refugees now that "ICRC had reached the limits of 
mediation."  He said the Center for Constitutional Rights in 
the U.S. was an organization that had taken interest in 
Guantanamo detainees and had helped to collect funds for some 
of those in Albania, as well. 
 
---------------------------- 
FROM THE REFUGEES THEMSELVES 
---------------------------- 
¶7.  (SBU)  Recently, some of the refugees sought contact with 
the Embassy.  They showed up unannounced three times asking 
to see someone and spoke with the A/RSO.  Post was unable to 
accommodate the unscheduled demands for a meeting.  A/RSO 
asked the refugees to put their concerns in writing.  (The 
text of the letter from the refugees, dated April 21, follows 
at para 18.)  When they returned and seemed unwilling to 
leave, he explained that they could not simply loiter outside 
the Embassy; doing so could prompt removal for security 
reasons.  The Uzbek (Zakir) then called Pol-Econ section 
chief, who met him and one of the Uighurs (Abu Baker) 
together with Post's Human Rights Officer on May 21. 
 
¶8.  (U)  The Uzbek translated for his Uighur companion.  Both 
were polite and seemed reasonably cheerful, all things 
considered.  They complained repeatedly of the unhelpful 
attitude displayed by the Ministry of Interior's (MOI) 
Refugee Director, Drita Avdyli.  One complaint was that when 
individuals from Europe had arrived to see them and offered 
help, Avdyli prevented contact on the ruse that the refugees 
did not speak English, but assured the would-be benefactors 
that the refugees were well.  They said Avdyli had provided 
 
TIRANA 00000411  003 OF 006 
 
 
no assistance, made their lives much more difficult and 
refused to forward their complaints.  They said Mr. Drini, 
the social worker, was only allowed to bring them their 
money, but had no power to resolve their concerns.  They 
added that the UNHCR shared their frustration with Avdyli, 
but told them they were unable to do anything about her. 
 
¶9.  (U)  The refugees told us that before departing 
Guantanamo, they were told "in two months (from arrival in 
Albania), you will have a house, a job, money, documents. 
You will have everything."  Zakir added that he asked how 
much money he would have and was told he would have enough to 
stand on his own two feet.  They said they were not asking 
for anything for the four and a half years in Guantanamo, but 
wanted help to face the future.  The charge of terrorism has 
made it impossible for them to find jobs or marry, they said. 
 They referred repeatedly to a "promise from the State 
Department" and "an agreement between the U.S. and Albania." 
They said that the previous refugee director told them "you 
will have more than others and you will have all in the 
agreement."  (Note:  The lawyers have used similar phrasing 
in contacts with Embassy.) 
 
¶10.  (U)  In the meeting, the refugees pressed three main 
concerns:  permanent housing, documents that would allow 
travel, and jobs.  The Uighur also said having their families 
or being able to marry would be important.  He said one 
Uighur had tried to marry twice.  The Albanian women's 
fathers had rejected him, one for being a terrorist and the 
other for having no home to offer.  Zakir said if they had no 
homes, they would have to camp in front of the Embassy.  (We 
discouraged that as an option.)  They also referred to the 
possibility of starting their own restaurant, but noted the 
extremely high cost of buying or investing in a property to 
do so.  The monthly stipend is not enough for rent, 
electricity, food, and savings on top of that, they 
explained.  Zakir complained that, despite the fact that he 
has not been using electricity in the warm weather, the GOA 
still charged $120/month for electricity.  (The refugees 
attempt to reduce their electricity use in order to have more 
money left for other things; what is not spent on electricity 
goes to them.)  He said when they complained, they were told 
that meter readers simply make up amounts to charge 
customers.  We noted this was unfortunately a common Albanian 
experience. 
 
¶11.  (U)  At the close of the meeting, the refugees pressed 
us for when they would receive a reply from State.  While we 
promised to convey their concerns, we urged them not to wait 
for a reply before beginning to consider how they might best 
get their lives in order. 
 
--------------- 
ICRC EVALUATION 
--------------- 
¶12.  (SBU)  Weinreich was somewhat concerned with the 
refugees' situation in December 2007.  He was frustrated by 
an apparent unwillingness by the MOI -- Avdyli or Secretary 
General Nuri, who had previously been helpful -- to meet, 
despite repeated attempts well in advance of his visit to set 
an appointment.  The refugees were having considerable 
difficulty determining where to get their identification 
documentation renewed.  They believed they were being 
overcharged for electricity and could not get receipts for 
electricity payments made by the GOA on their behalf.  There 
were delays in delivery of their monthly stipends.  In 
subsequent meetings with the GOA, we urged them to live up to 
their obligations to these and all refugees, noting that as 
well as the moral obligation, embarrassing articles about GOA 
treatment of the refugees could be distracting in the (then) 
 
TIRANA 00000411  004 OF 006 
 
 
run-up to a potential NATO invitation.  We urged the GOA to 
meet its responsibilities to important international NGOs 
such as the ICRC.  We also advised Weinreich to utilize the 
ICRC's own contacts in the MOD and MFA (from other projects 
and responsibilities) to facilitate the contacts it needed. 
 
¶13.  (SBU)  In May 2008, Weinreich reported no further 
difficulties making contact with GOA officials.  He 
characterized the refugees as "reasonably well off."  Their 
situation was "definitely not about life and death, or strong 
suffering."  He said there would likely be periodic bouts of 
depression and concern; this is not uncommon in similar 
situations.  He said depression in refugees can come in 
waves.  Physically, they were well and had adjusted. 
Weinreich said he understood the refugees to be deeply 
worried about their future.  They feared they may end up 
sleeping in the streets.  Most, he believed, were more or 
less willing to integrate.  He confirmed (nonjudgmentally) 
that the refugees expect assistance from U.S. authorities. 
 
¶14.  (SBU)  The refugees had outlined for Weinreich 
essentially the same three concerns they did with us.  They 
want to be able to travel.  ICRC had explained, as we did, 
that the problem was not strictly one of documentation; 
nonetheless, the refugees pressed the ICRC for U.S. help to 
obtain expedited Albanian citizenship.  Weinreich said that 
according to the UNHCR, acquiring Albanian citizenship is 
normally a five-year process, unless a person marries an 
Albanian.  In the case of marriage, the process is reduced to 
three years.  The refugees had asked the GOA to give them 
houses.  While with Poloffs the request was for more general 
employment, with ICRC they particularly focused on help 
getting a restaurant. 
 
¶15.  (SBU)  Weinreich noted that this last request indicated 
some thought, initiative, and willingness to integrate. 
While neither ICRC, UNHCR, nor the GOA (nor, presumably, the 
USG) is able to give them money to buy a restaurant, if the 
lawyers could tap into private interest and work through a 
group like the Center for Constitutional Rights, it might be 
possible to raise funds to help the refugees, he mused. 
Weinreich observed that when information about the refugees 
is shared, the reaction of most people (Albanians and others) 
is one of sympathy. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶16.  (SBU)  As ICRC noted, the refugees are not at this time 
destitute or suffering.  Their monthly stipend is fairly 
comfortable by Albanian standards.  The bureaucratic hurdles 
they have encountered are not uncommon for any Albanian, but 
the refugees are at a disadvantage culturally and 
linguistically to face them.  A poor Albanian might have a 
family network for support, live at home, or have a house 
with room to grow or raise some supplemental food. 
 
¶17.  (SBU)  Post does not have the human or financial 
resources to provide full-time social work assistance to the 
eight refugees, although we can follow their condition 
periodically as a human rights issue.  In some of the 
communications we have had with private citizens (usually by 
e-mail), we have noticed a desire to help these individuals. 
Department may want to consider whether to encourage the 
lawyers, together with the Center for Constitutional Rights, 
to develop a fundraising/support network for the detainees. 
(The Center for Constitutional Rights can, according to ICRC, 
facilitate delivery of money or goods.)  While there are 
potentially negative PR considerations to such an idea, the 
unfavorable PR from media attention to unhappy refugees also 
 
TIRANA 00000411  005 OF 006 
 
 
could be a bar to other countries we may want to consider 
future resettlement.  The prospect of eight ex-detainees 
camping at the Embassy's front door, being dragged away by 
the Albanian police, is another PR nightmare to be avoided. 
 
------------------------ 
LETTER FROM THE REFUGEES 
------------------------ 
¶18.  (U)  Begin text, letter to Embassy from refugees: 
 
April 21, 2008  Tirana 
 
American Consulate: 
 
We, Abu Bakker Kasim, Ahtar Kasim Basit, Ayub Haji Memet, and 
Ahmet Adil, four of us, have been in Albania for two years by 
the arrangement of the United States of America.  You told us 
in Guantanimo (sic) that by two months in Albania you would 
help arrange passports, housing and find us work.  As of 
today Albania has not given us passports (with the documents 
that they did give us we are unable to even venture out from 
our present place).  As for housing they gave us a place to 
live for two years.  After two years have passed it is still 
not settled where we will live. 
 
We told all this to the Albania interior ministry.  We told 
them if they could not give us work then please give us some 
finances so we can start our own business and make a living. 
The person there named Dirita told us that their country 
doesn't have any welfare money.  So six months ago we gave a 
written request to the UNHCR asking for money to open up a 
restaurant.  At that time Huseyin (UNHCR worker) said they 
would help us.  But now Husyin says it takes a lot of money 
to open a restaurant and that by themselves they cannot get 
enough funds.  He told us to write to the American Consulate 
and request help, saying he would talk with you also to get 
some help. 
 
Dirita, from the Albania interior ministry, said that they 
will only give us rent and money to live on for two years, 
and then we are on our own. 
 
To the Head of the Consul: 
 
We originally put great hope in America and Albania, but now 
we haven't obtained anything.  On the contrary, Dirita Avdyli 
from the Albania interior ministry has falsely told everyone 
that we eight people are doing well.  The groups that would 
help us have all disappeared and have withheld the things 
that would help us.  Every month the money we get to live on 
comes late.  If we don't phone them asking for it for one or 
two days they don't bring it. 
 
If after two years Albania doesn't give us the opportunity to 
make a living or give us a stable home, where will we live, 
what will we eat then?  Dirita has not given us enough funds 
to study language and she says that they don't have money. 
 
Three of us ) Abu Bakker Kasim, Ahtar Kaim Basit, and Ahmet 
Adil Totimiz have asked for funds to open a restaurant. 
 
If the UNHCR and you do not help us with the things necessary 
to live, passports and funds to open a  restaurant we will be 
unable to make a living because to rent an place for one 
month costs from $200-300.  Electricity and water are at 
least $60.  With only $40 left how can we survive? 
 
Dear sir/madam, being taken to Guantanimo (sic) has destroyed 
our lives.  Although in the end we were acquitted of any 
wrong, we still have not been given the opportunity to live a 
 
TIRANA 00000411  006 OF 006 
 
 
normal life.  On the contrary our lives are turned upside 
down by people's prejudices. 
 
So we are asking the American government and the American 
Consul to give us the opportunity to live peacefully.  Please 
help us straighten out our lives.  If the United States of 
America and Albania are unwilling to help us with getting a 
home, passports and work, please move us to a better country. 
 
We are appealing to the American Consulate because the 
government of Albania only does what the American government 
tells them to do.  We've come to understand this very 
clearly.  They will not help us on their own.  From now on we 
will not talk with Dirita Avdyli at the Interior Ministry 
because it doesn't help and we are tired of it.  Now we are 
seeking the American Consulate to help us. 
 
Sincerely 
 
/s/ 
 
Ayoob Haji Mohammed 
 
End text. 
WITHERS