You mean it didn’t work? Then, these 25 are just the latest to fail to grasp Islam’s peaceful message in the compassionate care of the Saudis. “25 Saudi Guantanamo Prisoners Return to Militancy,” from Reuters, June 19 (thanks to Sr. Soph):
RIYADH (Reuters) – Around 25 former detainees from Guantanamo Bay camp returned to militancy after going through a rehabilitation programme for al Qaeda members in Saudi Arabia, a Saudi security official said on Saturday.
The United States have sent back around 120 Saudis from the detention camp at the U.S. naval base in Cuba, set up after the U.S. launched a “war on terror” following the September 11 attacks by mostly Saudi suicide hijackers sent by al Qaeda.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, has put the returned prisoners along with other al Qaeda suspects through a rehabilitation programme which includes religious re-education by clerics and financial help to start a new life.
The scheme, which some 300 extremists have attended, is part of anti-terrorism efforts after al Qaeda staged attacks inside the kingdom from 2003-06. These were halted after scores of suspects were arrested with the help of foreign experts.
Around 11 Saudis from Guantanamo have gone to Yemen, an operating base for al Qaeda, while others have been jailed again or killed after attending the programme, said Abdulrahman al-Hadlaq, Director General of the General Administration for Intellectual Security overseeing the rehabilitation.
He pinpointed strong personal ties among former prisoners but also tough U.S. tactics as the reason why some 20 percent of the returned Saudis relapsed into militancy compared to 9.5 percent of other participants in the rehabilitation programme.
And now, to blame the Americans, and discount any possibility that the Gitmo detainees might actually have been dangerous jihadists:
“Those guys from other groups didn’t suffer torture before, the non-Guantanamos (participants). Torturing is the most dangerous thing in radicalisation. You have more extremist people if you have more torture,” Hadlaq told reporters in a rare briefing about Saudi anti-terrorism efforts.
Despite the setback with Guantanamo prisoners, Saudi Arabia regards the rehabilitation scheme, which kicks in after militants have served a prison term, as a success.
“There is no doubt that there is an effect,” Hadlaq said…
Uh, yes there is.