Magic

Check out this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn5Rh2Atre8

Palau to take Guantanamo Uighurs

The US has 50 to 60 detainees whom it has been unable to repatriate

The Pacific nation of Palau says it has agreed to a US request to temporarily resettle up to 17 Chinese Muslims.

The 17 men are ethnic Uighurs, now being held at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre on Cuba, and the US has asked for help to re-settle them.

Their fate was problematic due to fears for their safety if they were repatriated to China.

Palau, a former US trust territory, grants diplomatic recognition to Taiwan, not China.

Palau President Johnson Toribiong said his government had "agreed to accommodate the United States of America's request to temporarily resettle in Palau up to 17 ethnic Uighur detainees ... subject to periodic review."

'Humanitarian'

In a statement, he said his tiny country is "honoured and proud" to resettle the detainees, who have been found not to be "enemy combatants."

FROM BBC WORLD SERVICE More from BBC World Service

He said the agreement was a "humanitarian gesture", which had nothing to do with the upcoming review of the Compact of Free Association under which the US gives large sums to Palau.

US officials asked Mr Toribiong on 4 June to accept some or all of the 17 Uighur detainees due to strong US congressional opposition to releasing them on US soil.

Guantanamo Bay officials have been attempting to fulfil US President Barack Obama's order to close the detention facility by early next year.

Palau, with a population of about 20,000, is an archipelago of eight main islands plus more than 250 islets that is best known for diving and tourism and is located some 800 km (500 miles) east of the Philippines in the Pacific Ocean.

The US will not send the Uighurs back to China for fear they will be tortured or executed. Beijing says Uighur insurgents are leading an Islamic separatist movement in China's far west and wants those held at Guantanamo to be returned to China.

Analysts said the fact that Palau is an ally of Taiwan, not China, could have helped the negotiations.

In 2006, Albania accepted five Uighur detainees from Guantanamo but has since balked at taking others, partly for fear of diplomatic repercussions from China.

Australia has already twice rejected US appeals to resettle the Uighurs.

Palau has retained close ties with the United States since independence in 1994 when it signed a Free Compact of Association with the US. It relies heavily on the US for aid and defence.

Rest in Peace Jasper :( Aki kmal mo miss er kau!

Sgt Jasper K. Obakrairur

June 5th, 2009

Death: Jun. 1, 2009 in Nerkh, Afghanistan

Sgt. Jasper K. Obakrairur of Hilo, Hawaii joined the Army in March 2004 and has served at Fort Drum since August 2004. He was a graduate of the Combat Life Savers Course and Warrior Leader Course among others. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal and Combat Infantry Badge. He had previously deployed to Afghanistan from January 2006 to May 2007. Jasper is survived by his parents and a sister. He died at age 26 in Nerkh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Army
2nd Battalion
87th Infantry Regiment
3rd Brigade Combat Team
10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry)
Fort Drum, New York

Can Palau be independently sufficient in its economy?

Follow this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icvngZ02W2Q

March 7, 2009

An American investor interviews the President of the Republic of Palau regarding the situation of the compact agreement and what measurements the President is taking to help lead Palau towards economic indepedence.