A Friend in Need

Like the thousands of Iraqi exiles who made up the Iraqi National Congress, the Uighurs (pronounced YOO-gers) were a favorite ethnic minorty of the Bush Administration's neo-cons. They are Chinese Muslims with slight nationalist leanings and who practice a mild form of Islam-- the men drink and the women don't cover their faces. And they oppose the Communist government in China, which makes them especially appealing to certain think tanks that rhyme with Shmeritage Shinstitute and other ideologues.

Of course, they're still Muslim which means they are fairly represented... in Guantanamo.

Right now there are 15 Uighurs unfairly, unjustly, and inhamanely imprisoned at our lovely carribean getaway. They appealed to the Supreme Court for help, but their pleas were rejected today. The Justice Department does not dispute that they should be released, but it sure as hell doesn't want them here. They are free to leave Guantanamo, technically, but no country wants to take them.

Bush Administration officials have appealed to Angela Merkel, but she's not so sure she wants Germany to be the recycling bin for all our pissed off prisoners.

That's another 15 men wrongly held for 4 years of their lives they will never get back and never be compensated for with nowhere to go and no judicial system to appeal to.