This is regarding the 22 Uyghurs at Guantanamo.
- Pretty early on, the U.S. realized that the Uyghurs they detained were not enemy combatants. But they were not released sooner for two reasons, according to Honigsberg.
- The first was that China had pressured nations worldwide not to accept the Uyghurs. Because of China’s power, its trade opportunities and its not-so-subtle threats, most nations turned down US requests.
- The second was that the US was planning to invade Iraq and did not want China to interfere. China agreed, but asked in return that the US officially branded the Uyghurs as terrorists. ETIM was designated a terrorist organization as a quid-pro-quo
Moreover, China insisted that the Guantanamo Uyghurs were terrorists.