Sunday September 16, 1:22 pm Eastern Time. Press Release.
SOURCE: Government of the Cayman Islands.
Yahoo! News
September 17, 2001
GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Government of the
Cayman Islands expresses its shock and sadness over the tragedy in the United
States. It pledges to provide all possible assistance to both U.S. and
international law enforcement to assist in the investigation of this terrorist
attack on our friend and neighbour.
There have been questions relating to the presence of three persons alleging
to be Afghan in the Cayman Islands and an anonymous letter about them and their
activities. Attached is a copy of the letter.
On 22nd August 2000, three men claiming to be Afghan nationals reported that
they were dropped off in the Cayman Islands, having arrived here by ship from
Turkey. The Royal Cayman Islands Police (RCIP) detained them at the Central
Police Station. The Immigration authorities conducted interviews with the
individuals (with the assistance of a visiting Iranian doctor who was able to
translate) in an attempt to establish their identities. On 28th August 2000, the
information was transmitted to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United
Kingdom (FCO). On 2nd October, the men were transferred to Northward Prison from
the Central Police Station, where they had been in protective custody.
On 10th October, a further letter was sent to the FCO, indicating that the
Government had considerable doubt concerning the account given by the men about
their arrival in the Cayman Islands. It appeared likely that the men had arrived
here on 20th August on a flight from Cuba using Pakistani passports. The
Government questioned the validity of the Pakistani passports (which were never
located), and the ultimate goal of the men concerning their presence in the
Cayman Islands.
Since last year, the authorities have attempted to establish their
identities. Interpol was contacted, but had no record of any of the individuals.
Because the men claimed they had planned to go to Canada, a representative from
the Canadian High Commission in Jamaica visited the Cayman Islands and met with
the Chief Immigration Officer.
The Afghan authorities (in exile) in New York interviewed the men by
telephone, and were satisfied that they were Afghan nationals. That office
issued them temporary travel documents. These could not be used, as the
individuals still required a visa from a country allowing the individuals entry.
The men were asked to provide a list of people who might be able to verify their
identities. The list was also passed on to the Afghan authorities in New York,
but no response was made regarding the list.
Additional inquiries were made to the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C.,
and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Neither responded.
The British High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan, has also been unable to
secure cooperation from Pakistani authorities. The numbers of the passports
believed to have been used by the individuals was recorded by Immigration, but
no Pakistani authority has verified the numbers or provided any information
about them.
Based on complaints from the detainees, and at the request of the Cayman
Islands branch of the Red Cross, the three men were moved to a less secure area
of the prison on 27th April 2001. On 5th June 2001, the Cayman Islands Grand
Court ruled that the men should be released pending determination of their
application for political asylum. In its ruling, the Court stated that "there
is no evidence that they are a danger to the public and fears as to their
possible links with a terrorist organization have long since been dispelled.''
However, the Court concurred with immigration authorities that their version of
how they reached the Cayman Islands was not credible.
Following that decision, the men were accommodated in a guest house in Grand
Cayman, and have been required to report to Immigration authorities and the RCIP
on a daily basis. They have complied fully. Efforts have been ongoing to
establish their identities and potential options for relocation in the event
that their request for political asylum is unsuccessful.
In August of this year, a Chief Immigration Officer from the United Kingdom
came to the Cayman Islands at the request and expense of the Cayman Islands
government. The officer specializes in matters relating to Afghanistan and
speaks Farsi. After interviewing the three men individually, the officer was
satisfied that the men were indeed Afghan nationals. The officer did, however,
state that she too was not satisfied with the Afghans' account of how they had
arrived in the Cayman Islands.
On 29th August 2001, a letter was hand delivered by its author to Mr. Loxley
Banks, the Director of Broadcasting of Radio Cayman. The letter was signed "a
concerned Caymanian.'' The letter was incorrectly addressed to Mr. Joel Walton,
who is not the host of "Talk Today.'' The host of that radio show is in
fact Mr. Joel Francis. The letter was never read on the air, as Radio Cayman
considered it speculative, and had heard similar allegations about the Afghans
since their arrival.
Mr. Banks passed the letter to Acting Chief Secretary Donovan Ebanks on 6th
September. There had been numerous complaints about the continued presence of
the Afghans in the Cayman Islands, and Mr. Ebanks also considered this to be
speculative. He was aware that the Government had made attempts to establish the
identity of the individuals, and that those efforts continued following the
Court decision. The Acting Chief Secretary informed Mr. Banks that the letter
writer was welcome to contact him directly to discuss the matter.
The person who wrote the anonymous letter did not contact the Acting Chief
Secretary or any other Cayman Islands government or law enforcement official
about the letter until 12th September, the day after the attack in the U.S. When
formally interviewed that day by local authorities, the letter writer told them
that the letter was "pure speculation'' on his part.
Following the horrific terrorist attack in the U.S., Chief Secretary James
Ryan transmitted the information to Police Commissioner David Thursfield on 12th
September. The RCIP Commissioner was then in contact with the U.S. Consul on the
Island and the U.S. Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica. Representatives of the U.S.
Embassy arrived in Grand Cayman on the evening of 12th September and departed on
the afternoon of 15th September. While in the Cayman Islands, the US authorities
received complete cooperation. They were provided with all documents and
relevant information regarding the case of the Afghan nationals with a view to
briefing the relevant U.S. investigating authorities.
The three Afghans have been in protective custody since 11th September and
are now in Northward Prison.
The Cayman Islands government has been actively cooperating with U.S.
Embassy personnel, and will continue to do so. We welcome the presence of any
and all international law enforcement authorities, for as long as necessary to
resolve this matter. A copy of the letter follows:
Aug. 29-01
Mr. Joel Walton
C/o Radio Cayman
Cayman Islands
Dear Mr. Walton,
I am a regular listener to your "Talk Today" program. I find
it informative and a positive way of the citizens of this island expressing
their views.
Mr. Walton we have an urgent situation with the three Afghanistans that
we have in our midsts for the past months. I have been convinced that they
are agents of Osama Bin Laden - one of the world's greatest terrorist -
operating out of - you guessed it - Afghanistan. The three agents here are
organizing a major terrorist act against the U.S. via an airline or
airlines.
Their identity is difficult to establish for this reason. Why do you
think they had funds on their persons when they were apprehended? Why do
you think that their last country before they came to the Cayman Islands was
Cuba?
I feel that the world will think this is the most unlikely place on
Earth to launch an attack - the Cayman Islands. The agents are patiently
organizing this attack while we fumble and stumble over the trivial thing
as their identity.
These agents are allowing us to know just enough about them to keep on
this Island to accomplish their mission. Remember this is probably the
easiest and most informative place in this hemisphere to plan their attack.
Mr. Walton we need to pass this information immediately to the
authorities and refrain from being naive and complacent in this serious
situation.
Yours sincerely,
A very concerned Caymanian
P.S. If we foil these agents' plans we may never know for sure why they
are here, but if we allow this attack to be carried out this would be one
of the greatest and most far reaching catastrophe for these Islands. | 
