Pakistan’s GITMO Prisoners Pose Problem

Will Former Detainees Be Welcome Back Home?

by VIVIAN SALAMA

ABC NEWS.com

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan 29, 2009— Mohammed Saad Iqbal never imagined that his 26th birthday would be the first of many spent behind the concrete walls and barbed-wire fences of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Over nearly eight years, the Pakistani preacher was transferred through four detention facilities, starting from the scene of his arrest in Jakarta, Indonesia in late 2001. After that, it was on to Cairo, Egypt, Islamabad, Pakistan and the Bagram Collection Point (now called the Bagram Detention Center) near Kabul, Afghanistan before finally making it to Guantanamo Bay in early 2003.

There was no trial. No legal counsel. No phone call home.

American and Egyptian interrogators accused him of mingling with the likes of Osama bin Laden and shoe bomber Richard Reid, making him a terrorist by association, he says.

Iqbal maintains his innocence. “I’d never been to Afghanistan; I’ve never met Osama bin Laden; I’ve never picked up a weapon nor have I had any training; even I never curse,” he said.

His voice grows shaky and his eyes timid as he recalls the endless cycles of torture and psychological abuse he says he endured throughout his years in captivity. He claims it was so bad he tried to kill himself twice and went on numerous hunger strikes to protest his mistreatment.

Today, less than five months after his release, he is safe within the confines of his modest Lahore home, surrounded by family and friends, and free to savor a glimpse of sunlight or a breath of fresh air.

Photo by Matthew Tabaccos

Still, the painful memories of his years in Guantanamo Bay linger as he suffers from physical disabilities that hinder his efforts to find a job and reintegrate into society. He recently retired his walker in favor of a cane, which he still needs due to knee injuries he alleges to have suffered from electric shocks to his legs.

Like many Pakistanis, Iqbal welcomes news of the executive order signed by President Barack Obama to shut down the prison within a year, but he says his physical and emotional scars will not heal by a stroke of the pen.

“In Iraq we recently saw a journalist throw at President Bush his shoes,” Iqbal says.

“I hoped that he got one hit and feels pain for two seconds then compare this pain with the pain I felt in Guantanamo for almost seven years.”

For many in this region, the move to close down the Cuba-based U.S. prison is something of a relief. Since the attacks of Sept. 11, little more has emerged from the detention facility beyond horrific stories of alleged torture, ranging from electric shock to sexual abuse, and numerous claims of desecration of the Quran, Islam’s sacred book.

According to Amnesty International, nearly 800 detainees have been officially held at the camp, although hundreds of other “ghost prisoners” may have been detained unofficially. Iqbal says the number of unregistered detainees topped 2,000.

Most were subjected to conditions that violate the international prohibition against cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, including solitary confinement, according to Amnesty International.

However, with the newfound relief comes a realization that the closure of Guantanamo Bay ultimately means that some prisoners not transferred to U.S.-based prisons, might be coming home, and placed in the hands of local authorities.

Here in Pakistan, many are asking whether their authorities are ready. Fighting rages on along the country’s Western border with Afghanistan  a region that remains virtually lawless, creating a hotbed for al Qaeda and Taliban forces.

Pakistan has not developed a system of reintegration for these young men, most of whom have lived in solitary confinement for years, all the while growing increasingly disgruntled with their Western captors.

While many Guantanamo detainees have no proven ties to extremists groups, some do. “A lot of the Pashtuns who have been released go right back and rejoin the Taliban because they have been released, held here by the ISI [Pakistani intelligence] and then released back into society without any re-education, or retaining or re-explanation of Islam,” explained Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani journalist and author of several books about militant Islam in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

As for the dark legacy that is Guantanamo Bay, Pakistanis may not be in the clear — only the danger lies much closer to home. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) warns of some 250 cases of detainees who have “disappeared” — taken away by intelligence and law enforcement agencies and never heard from again.

Those prisoners who do resurface bear stories eerily similar to the horrific accounts by Guantanamo Bay captives. Testimonials released by HRCP include repeated incidents of beatings and waterboarding but also of authorities urinating and defecating in the mouths of prisoners.

“Pakistan is signatory to the U.N. Convention Against Torture and yet despite that, our security and police and armed forces deploy those methods,” said Hossain Naky, head of mission for HRCP.

While Iqbal yearns for any assistance from his government, he thanks Allah that he is home again and able to spread Islam’s message of peace. He remains hopeful that the closure of Guantanamo Bay is more than merely political rhetoric  rather, the start of a new era.

“Ask a child to do something and you can get what you need. If you force him, he will never accept. If we have more talking, we will have less wars.”

Vivian Salama is a freelance correspondent working in Pakistan.

Egyptian archaeologists find fortified city

An Egyptian archaeological mission in northern Sinai, headed by Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Maqsoud, head of antiquities of Lower Egypt, has found the remains of the largest ancient Egyptian fortified city from the New Kingdom. Egypt’s Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni announced the discovery, which took place within the framework of a joint project of the Ministry of Culture and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) to explore the ancient military road known as the “Way of Horus,” which once connected Egypt to Palestine.

Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary-General of the SCA, said that the mission has found a relief of king Thutmose II (1516-1504 BC). This relief is thought to be the first such royal monument to be found in Sinai, and indicates that Thutmose II may have built a fort in the area.  

Dr. Hawass added that the mission has also unearthed remains of a mud brick fort with a number of 4-meter-high towers. The fort measures 500 by 250 meters in area, and can be dated to the reign of King Ramses II (1304-1237 BC). Early studies suggest that this fort was Egypt’s military headquarters from the New Kingdom (1569-1081 BC) until the Ptolemaic era (305-31 AD).  

Dr. Abdel-Maqsoud said that the first ever New Kingdom temple to be found in northern Sinai has been located, and early studies indicate that it was built on top of an 18^th dynasty fort. The mission also unearthed a collection of reliefs belonging to kings Ramses II and Seti I, along with rows of storehouses used by the ancient Egyptians to store wheat and weapons.   

ALSO FROM THE COUNCIL TODAY:

A bronze statue of the goddess Aphrodite, a headless Ptolemaic royal statue, an alabaster head of Queen Cleopatra, and a mask thought to be of her lover Mark Antony have been discovered by an Egyptian-Dominican team headed by Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary- General of the Supreme Council Antiquities (SCA) at the archaeological site of Taposiris Magna at Abusir, 45 km north of Alexandria. 

Egypt’s Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni made the announcement yesterday.

Dr. Hawass said that inside the temple of Taposiris Magna, a number of tunnels 50 meters in depth were found, along with corridors and the foundation stones of the temple, which revealed that the structure was built during the reign of king Ptolemy II (282-246 BC). He noted that the shafts and tunnels have not led the team to Cleopatra’s tomb, as international newspapers have reported.  

We have found nothing that indicates the presence of the tomb of either Cleopatra or Mark Antony,” he said, adding that excavation work in the area will be resumed in November.

UAE may buy Pakistan farms

 

by Sarmad Khan and Vivian Salama

The National

ABU DHABI // Inflation and the spectre of long-term food shortages have prompted the Government to consider a new strategic investment – the purchase of large-scale farms in Pakistan and other countries.

The aim is to protect the country from the turmoil of soaring wheat and rice prices and export bans by producing countries that could lead to food shortages.

The Government is holding exploratory talks with Pakistan on the proposal, according to a senior Pakistan government official and the Emirates Society of Consumer Protection, a division of the Economy Ministry.

The Government was looking to acquire large land holdings and import food at 20 to 25 per cent less cost, a senior Pakistani government official said. 

There are six parties in the chain between the farmer and the time the product reaches retailers including the farmer, broker, exporter, importer here, wholesaler and retailer. 

According to a Pakistani official each party retains a 5 per cent margin on each transaction, and by eliminating several steps the government can bring the cost of food down by 20 to 25 cent, according to a senior Pakistani government official.

“The talks have been going on between Pakistan’s government and the UAE’s Ministry of Economy for some four months, however no concrete decision is made yet,” he said. The ministry was seeking support and guarantees from Pakistani counterparts before getting into large-scale corporate farming, he added.

Rising inflation is one of the driving forces behind the Economy Ministry’s decision to consider alternative food sources that would secure supplies for the country while cutting costs.

“We believe that, if we get products directly from the farms, it will encourage market competition,” an official at the Emirates Society of Consumer Protection said, adding that the government was studying similar options in other countries.

Pakistani officials say their government will facilitate negotiations between farmers and UAE representatives but it is not involved in growing food and cannot help the UAE set up government-supported farms.

Last week Pakistan announced the introduction of tax exemptions, duty free import of equipment and 100 per cent land ownership in specialised free zones in its agriculture, livestock and dairy sectors to lure potential investors.

It is expected to announce more concessions to entice investments.

“Agricultural free zones will be set up within the next four to five months, which will open up doors for the nations to own sources of food supply,” the Pakistani official said. “It is a good opportunity, especially for GCC countries which are dependent on food imports.”

GCC countries rely heavily on imported food and the UAE imports nearly 85 per cent of its supplies for an estimated Dh11 billion (US$3bn) annually.

The GCC is the largest importer of food from Pakistan, according to Pakistani officials. A number of GCC-based companies have already turned to Pakistan for alternative resources. Qatar Livestock Company is to invest $1bn in corporate farms in Pakistan, according to Huma Fakhar, an adviser to the Bahraini government. Some Saudi Arabian groups, particularly Al Rabie Group, a dairy company, have expressed interest in buying land in Pakistan.

“There is a global crisis right now,” said Miss Fakhar. “If you do not prepare these reserves now, then three to four years down the line it will turn extremely critical.”

Several UAE-based retailers including Baniyas Co-operative Society, Carrefour, Union Co-operative Society and Lulu hypermarkets have agreed to help the government to curtail inflation by putting price caps on basic commodities.

Last week the Economy Ministry urged retailers to start stockpiling basic food items to prevent shortages resulting from export bans by countries like India, Egypt and Brazil.

The UAE government has also urged retailers to consider eliminating middlemen when importing commodities to cut costs. While executives like José Luis Durán, the chief executive of Carrefour, encourages supermarkets to work directly with farms, others are concerned that this carries a hidden catch.

“If you want to make money as a farmer, go to a place where the farmers are making money, not a place where the land is cheap,” said Jannie Holtzhausen, chief executive of Spinneys in Dubai. “What has now suddenly changed in the world that the economic model drives governments to become farmers?”

Concerned about what the initiative means to their businesses, local importers are speaking out against it.

“Eliminating traders from this process would be a mistake,” said Burhan Turkmani, the general manager of Dubai-based Al Rabiah Trading Company.

“Farmers are not exporters and governments are not importers,” added Riaz Hussein Bhojani, the general manager of Rashwell Company, another trading company

Egypt ‘to copyright antiquities’

this is SIMPLY AMAZING!!!!

FROM THE BBC:  Egypt’s MPs are expected to pass a law requiring royalties be paid whenever copies are made of museum pieces or ancient monuments such as the pyramids.

Zahi Hawass, who chairs Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, told the BBC the law would apply in all countries.

The money was needed to maintain thousands of pharaonic sites, he said.

Correspondents say the law will deal a blow to themed resorts across the world where large-scale copies of Egyptian artefacts are a crowd-puller.

Mr Hawass said the law would apply to full-scale replicas of any object in any museum in Egypt.

“Commercial use” of ancient monuments like the pyramids or the sphinx would also be controlled, he said.”Even if it is for private use, they must have permission from the Egyptian government,” he added.

But he said the law would not stop local and international artists reproducing monuments as long as they were not exact replicas.

The Luxor hotel in the US city of Las Vegas would also not be affected because it was not an exact copy of a pyramid and its interior was completely different, Mr Hawass told AFP news agency.

But he said claims by the hotel that it was “the only pyramid-shaped building in the world” could no longer be made.

The announcement came two days after an Egyptian newspaper called on the hotel to pay a share of its profits to the central Egyptian city of Luxor, which administers the ancient Valley of the Kings burial site.

NEWS: Limited number of visitors for Tutankhamun’s tomb

Hey folks,

I was just informed by Zahi Hawass at the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt that approximately 400 people PER DAY will be allowed to view the exposed King Tut in his Tomb at the Valley of the Kings.  (see here for original story). 

The 400 visitors will be divided into two groups: 200 in the morning and 200 in the afternoon.  The visits will begin in December.  Just a note, the tomb will close everyday between noon to 1pm.

Hawass announced that beginning May 1, 2008, the tomb will be closed for preservation and restoration as it has never been restored since its discovery by Howard Carter in 1922.

So if you’re in the Luxor area, definitely try to stop by for this rare experience.    

                 photo of Hawass looking over the face of Tutankhamun mummy.

I’ve written a number of stories on Egyptian archaeology including a profile on Zahi Hawass himself.  Click here if you’d like to read it.

King Tut’s Mummy To Be Removed from its Sarcophagus

News from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities (see below)

Tomorrow (11/4/07) the face of King Tutankhamun will be revealed as Zahi Hawass secretary, General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).  He will remove the mummy of king Tutankhamun from its sarcophagus, now at his tomb in the Valley of the Kings to a plexi-glass showcase equipped with state-of-the art equipment to control humidity and heat.

Hawass announced that such a removal came within the framework of the SCA’s project to protect and preserve royal mummies. Every day more than 5000 visitors enter the tomb which increase the rate of humidity and heat inside the tomb which on its turn threaten the mummy which is in a bad condition. Three years ago when Hawass, the last one who saw the mummy, examined the mummy using a CT-scan.  He realized then that it was in very badly preserved and divided into 18 solid pieces.

In 1925, Howard Carter, the archaeologist who discovered King Tut’s tomb, removed the mummy out of its sarcophagus using hard and pointed instruments to dismantle the golden mask out of the mummy’s face and remove more than 100 amulet bedded inside the mummy’s body.

Hawass asserts that the high rate of humidity and heat inside the tomb is threatening the mummy and may lead to its complete deterioration. Therefore, Hawass said, the removal of the mummy inside a well-equipped showcase, like those found in the mummies rooms in the Egyptian museum, will protect it for thousands of years to come.

He said that the mummy will be covered with a linen wrap and the mummy’s face will be displayed to the public who will see for the first time the real face of king Tutankhamun.

Some scholars believe that the mummy in its showcase must be transferred to the mummification museum in Luxor or the Egyptian museum in Cairo but the SCA experts see that the mummy is linked to the tomb and it should be displayed inside of it.

Khayer Bek and Um El-Soltan Shaban Monuments to be Inaugurated

This might interest some of you:

Egypt’s Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni and Prince Karim Aga Khan, the current Shi’a Imam, will inaugurate two Islamic complex of Khayer Bek and Um El-Soltan Shaban at Al-Darbul Ahmar area in Historic Cairo.  The two have been restored in collaboration with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. The Minister and his guests will embark on a tour to inspect the restoration work.

Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Dr. Zahi Hawass says that the restoration project came within the framework of the SCA’s collaboration with the Aga Khan foundation in protecting and restoring Islamic monuments in Egypt especially those in Cairo. Hawass explains that Khayer Bek Complex belong to a 16th century Mameluk prince Khayer Bek, Egypt’s first ruler under the Ottoman Empire in 1517.

This complex consist of a madrassa (school), Janim Al-Hamazaoui sabil (water fountain), Ibrahim Mustafazan house and house number 25. Louis Monreal head of Aga Khan International. the Um El-Soltan Shabaan complex consists of a school and a mosque. According to Hawass, it is a great example of a Mamluk architecture.  It is one of the most important Mameluk monument built by the Mameluk Sultan Shabaan in 1369 which he dedicated to his mother Khond Berka.

The inauguration is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday October 26, 2007.

In other related news, Egypt has won a seat on the 21-member UNESCO World Heritage Committee following the latest round of elections, held yesterday in Paris.

Egypt Says Mummy of Ancient Queen Identified

Talk of the Nation, June 27, 2007 · Ancient Egypt’s most powerful female pharaoh, Queen Hatshepsut, has been identified Egyptian archaeologists said Wednesday. A monumental builder, she wielded more power than two other famous ancient Egyptian women, Cleopatra and Nefertiti.

Guest:  Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo

Click here to listen to NPR report.

                                                       

Egypt’s Director of Antiquities Discusses Life in the Fast Lane

By Vivian Salama

Daily Star Egypt

 

 

 

CAIRO – It’s shortly after 9am on a warm morning in May.  Just past the main entrance gates at the – truly – Great Pyramids of Giza lies a small, unassuming block of ancient-looking buildings.  Inside one of them, the office of Dr. Zahi Hawass, General Secretary of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

            Already halfway done with his cup of Turkish coffee – probably not his first – Hawass is sitting behind his desk, just as he appears in any of the hundreds of documentaries in which he has participated, in blue jeans and a denim shirt.  His office door is always open and his staff seems to walk in and out informally, unlike what one would expect with most high ranking Egyptian officials.  

            There is some time to scope out the office as Hawass tends to dozens of phone calls and paperwork awaiting him in the morning.  This office, a sharp contrast to that in Zamalek where he spends half of his days, has a far more homely disposition.  The couches are what you would expect in a classic Egyptian living room.  The picture frames don’t match (most of the photos taken around the pyramids).  The books appear to be forced in place so to all fit on the shelves. 

            “Do you like my office?” he asks.  “I’ve been in this office since I came back to Giza.”  He takes such pride in his office – one would never guess he’s been there for 18 years. 

            There really is no average day for a man whose living consists of revealing some of the most ancient secrets known to mankind.  Still, Hawass tries to simplify things.  “These days, I get to my excavation at Sakkara at 8 o’clock in the morning and I stay until 11 o’clock.  Then, I come back to my office.  Then, I take my jeans and my hat off and I wear a kind of a jacket and I go to the administration,” he says. 

The administration, more commonly known as the Supreme Council of Antiquities, employs more than 30,000 people, all of whom ultimately answer to Hawass.  It has been a long journey for Egypt’s real-life Indiana Jones, one in which he confesses in his book, Valley of the Golden Mummies, nearly drove him to become a diplomat early on, after a girlfriend heckled his chosen career path.  Hawass would have the last laugh.    

            It seems that to succeed in a career that would take him from the remote village of Tuna el-Gebel, to Abu Simbel, the Bahariya Oasis and back to Giza, Hawass must love his work. 

He is appalled by the question.  “I live in my job,” he asserts.  “I think I am the only one in the world who has a job that I live in it.  I have a passion for it.  I’m talking to you now and I’m thinking of monuments and antiquities.”

            He goes on:  “When I give a lecture, it’s as if I’m explaining my lover to the people.  When you talk about your love, then people can listen to you.”

            Asked how his wife feels about his sentiment for archaeology, he says she had early warning.  Fair enough. 

            Off we went up the road where a French film crew was waiting to shoot Hawass as he observed workers digging at a site near by pyramids.  On the way, we were greeted by a group of Italian tourists who acted as if they had just seen Michael Jackson.  They chanted his name and scurried to get their cameras out.  To them, this was the ultimate Egyptian celebrity sighting.  Hawass waved and smiled, but did not slow down as there was a schedule to keep. 

            He then spotted the cameraman from afar, and in under 15 minutes, stood approximately one meter from the camera giving his back to the Pyramid of Kufu, spoke a few made-for-television sound bytes, and that was a wrap.  Clearly, he had done this before. 

            Perhaps after all of these years, Hawass is something of a diplomat.  Within a few minutes of meeting him, there is no doubt that this man’s passion, beneath the excavations and the monuments which he uncovers, lies a love affair with the roots of Egypt.  If anything should interfere in that – be it politics or terrorism or just plain neglect – it won’t be on his clock. 

            “When a terrorist action happens in Egypt, it effects antiquities, because we depend completely on the restoration and the monuments to restore it because of the venues of the tourists,” he explains.  “If there is no tourists, the monuments will collapse.  If it stops the people from coming to Egypt, then you make the terrorists successful.”

            There is no doubt that Hawass talks the political talk, but making him a minister, as many have speculated, is out of the question.  “I do not want to be minister because I like what I am doing.  If I become minister, I can’t excavate, I can’t write.  The passion in my heart will be out, then maybe I would die.”

            There is far too much work to be done.  Hawass insists that to insure the success of the 120 conservation projects currently underway in Egypt, he needs to get down and dirty, literally.  Among the big success stories in Hawass’s tenure is the initiative to build 13 new museums across the country.  Each building will have a special niche, so to glorify each artifact, rather than bury them in a heap of history. 

            Among these museums will be the Grand Museum in Cairo which, when completed in 5 years time, will be the largest museum in the world.  It will house some 100 thousand artifacts of King Tutankhamun.  Additionally, the Civilization Museum, set to open its doors in just over two years, will gather Egypt’s ancient mummies spanning the dynasties. 

“One of the important issues in my mind is to change museums from a storage museum – dark, ugly, smelly, no education – to museums with education and culture messages,” says Hawass. 

            Also planned is a major project for site management.  In addition to improving the safety of site zoning, Hawass aims to boost each location as a tourist attraction – providing visitor centers, as well as bathrooms, cafeterias and bazaars. 

Just as important, says Hawass, is instating educated security guards at all major sites in the country.  “We are hiring 6,000 guards this year, educated guards, so they can guard the monuments well.  If you have an educated one, knows the value of the Egyptian artifacts.”

Education, not just for guards, but for all Egyptians, Hawass says, is the key to really boost the Egyptian economy – as well as her international reputation.  “I am trying to make Egyptians know that they can really protect the monuments.  Not only us who should do that, but the public should be involved.”

Finally, one of Hawass’s biggest goals is to return the stolen artifacts of ancient Egypt, which over centuries have been displaced.  Thus far, he has managed to retrieve 3,000 stolen artifacts from other countries.  Those countries who do not cooperate, Hawass cuts off – part of the perks of being Secretary General. 

“If a museum has a stolen artifact and they do not want to return it back, I stop his excavation,” Hawass admits.  “We did that with the Royal Museum in Belgium.  They had a stolen artifact from Giza.  They did not want to return it back.  I stopped their excavation and this piece is coming back next week.”

There is no hostility involved in these matters, because when it comes to the museum business, Egypt is not to be bargained with.  Still, Hawass insists that it is not a competition, and rather, we have our ancient ancestors to thank for keeping Egypt on the map. 

This is why exhibits, like the treasures of King Tut, continue to make their rounds to museums around the world – although a privilege that was once for free is now costing museum goers.  Hawass says it’s only fair. 

“There are no free meals anymore.  When we send an exhibit, we send it because Egypt needs to make money, to restore these monuments, because these monuments need money.  It is not just belonging to me, it is belonging to everyone all over the world.  I’m just the guardian to these monuments.”

            A guardian who is incredibly well-respected by his staff.  Back at his office in Zamalek – now in a suit – Hawass tends to another dozen phone calls and even more paperwork.  Were it not for a meeting later on that day, he says he would not bother with business attire.  He tends to his work, but not before making sure there is someone to show me around.    

“I am trying to make hundreds of Zahi Hawass,” he says, completely serious.  “You come to my office now and see how these people work, you see these young people, they really care because they see that we are serious.  We are trying to make a second generation.  In Egypt, they don’t really care about this.”

The Council of Antiquities looks more like a newsroom than a government agency with its constant hustle and bustle.  Hawass’s office, much more corporate in style, is adorned by more photos of the archaeologist with some of the hundreds of world leaders whom he has escorted across Egypt over the years.  Among them is former U.S. President Bill Clinton.  “Bill was a very nice man,” he says modestly. 

            He has friends in high places.  You would too if you were the guardian of the Great Pyramids of Giza.  Beyond his hard work, it is his charisma that earns him friends and fans around the world.  He is the adventurer, the politician and the light-hearted Egyptian wrapped into one. 

“It is good to be appreciated by the public,” he says.  “To see the smiles of the people whether in the States or in Egypt, that is the big reward for me.  Especially when I receive a letter from these young people who want to be an archaeologist – this is a reward in my life.”