BBC Online :
The last British resident to be held in Guantanamo Bay has landed in the UK, having been detained there for 13 years.
Shaker Aamer landed at London’s Biggin Hill Airport shortly before 13:00 GMT. Downing Street said any necessary security measures “will be put in place”, and the BBC has seen an ambulance arrive at the airport.
The Saudi national, 48, who has four children and whose family live in London, has never been charged.
Number 10 said Prime Minister David Cameron “welcomes” the release of Aamer, who has permission to live in the UK indefinitely because his wife is British.
Aamer’s father-in-law, Saeed Siddique, said his release was a “miracle”. Downing Street said there were “no plans” to detain him after his arrival.
US authorities first held Aamer in Afghanistan in 2001, alleging he had led a unit of Taliban fighters and had met former al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. However, Aamer maintains he was in Afghanistan with his family doing charity work.
Andy Worthington, co-director of the We Stand With Shaker campaign, said Aamer, who is reported to have health problems, will require “psychological and medical care” when he
returns to his family in London. In letters sent to the BBC by his lawyers earlier this month, Aamer described himself as “an old car that has not been to the garage for years”, saying the first thing he wanted once freed was a cup of coffee.
“I have known nothing about the real world for more than 13 years,” he wrote.
When the business jet carrying Shaker Aamer lands in London he is likely to be met by British officials and detectives. But if his case is handled like other returning detainees, he will soon be free to go on his way.
His lawyers say he will need medical and mental assessments. He may, like others who have been held at Guantanamo, be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
It’s unlikely we will ever find out if MI5 does decide to monitor Aamer – by definition its work is secret. On a human level, Shaker Aamer’s return is the end of the UK’s involvement in Guantanamo. But it’s not the end of the story.
The government’s long-promised investigation into substantial allegations that our agencies were mixed up in rendition and torture hasn’t happened – and many people are still demanding answers.
Aamer’s release has been welcomed by human rights groups and a number of MPs – but some say serious questions remain unanswered. Kate Allen, from Amnesty International, said Aamer had been held in “intolerable circumstances for nearly 14 years”.
The last British resident to be held in Guantanamo Bay has landed in the UK, having been detained there for 13 years.
Shaker Aamer landed at London’s Biggin Hill Airport shortly before 13:00 GMT. Downing Street said any necessary security measures “will be put in place”, and the BBC has seen an ambulance arrive at the airport.
The Saudi national, 48, who has four children and whose family live in London, has never been charged.
Number 10 said Prime Minister David Cameron “welcomes” the release of Aamer, who has permission to live in the UK indefinitely because his wife is British.
Aamer’s father-in-law, Saeed Siddique, said his release was a “miracle”. Downing Street said there were “no plans” to detain him after his arrival.
US authorities first held Aamer in Afghanistan in 2001, alleging he had led a unit of Taliban fighters and had met former al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. However, Aamer maintains he was in Afghanistan with his family doing charity work.
Andy Worthington, co-director of the We Stand With Shaker campaign, said Aamer, who is reported to have health problems, will require “psychological and medical care” when he
returns to his family in London. In letters sent to the BBC by his lawyers earlier this month, Aamer described himself as “an old car that has not been to the garage for years”, saying the first thing he wanted once freed was a cup of coffee.
“I have known nothing about the real world for more than 13 years,” he wrote.
When the business jet carrying Shaker Aamer lands in London he is likely to be met by British officials and detectives. But if his case is handled like other returning detainees, he will soon be free to go on his way.
His lawyers say he will need medical and mental assessments. He may, like others who have been held at Guantanamo, be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
It’s unlikely we will ever find out if MI5 does decide to monitor Aamer – by definition its work is secret. On a human level, Shaker Aamer’s return is the end of the UK’s involvement in Guantanamo. But it’s not the end of the story.
The government’s long-promised investigation into substantial allegations that our agencies were mixed up in rendition and torture hasn’t happened – and many people are still demanding answers.
Aamer’s release has been welcomed by human rights groups and a number of MPs – but some say serious questions remain unanswered. Kate Allen, from Amnesty International, said Aamer had been held in “intolerable circumstances for nearly 14 years”.
