The 'coincidence' on Palau

Times:

Under the palm trees of Palau two items of news have got the islanders talking.

One is about the latest battle raging in the Philippine jungle between government forces and al-Qaeda linked militants.

The other is about the islanders’ soon-to-be neighbours – the Guantánamo Bay inmates who are to be settled in their midst.

The two news stories are inextricably linked in the minds of the Palauans, whose tiny remote Pacific nation of islands lies 500 miles east of the Philippine province of Mindanao, where al-Qaeda-linked separatist groups are engaged in a war with the government. Outwardly welcoming, they admit privately that they are concerned about the arrival of up to 13 Muslims, Uighers originally from landlocked western China, who for the past eight years have been held in the prison camp.

"We are a Christian nation and we will welcome these people into our islands," Pastor Terrence McClure, who heads the Palau Baptist church told The Times. "But we are worried."

"Every day we hear about the kidnappings and the bombings by Muslim terrorists in the Philippines and we worry that it might spread to our islands. Since we first heard about Muslim terrorism we have worried. We would not like it to come to our oasis."

...

"We agreed to do so on humanitarian grounds. They should not be incarcerated any more." The fact that Palau is also getting an extra $200 million (£125 million) in development and budget aid from Washington – more than $11.8 million per Uighur – was not a consideration, he insisted.

"The economic package is not linked to the arrangement, it is just a coincidence," he said. "Palau is the United State's closest ally at this time," he said proudly, adding that just this week a young Palauan-born soldier died fighting for America in Afghanistan.

...

Was the Palauan soldier killed by Muslims terrorist? Probably so, but maybe they can use some of the money for a monument.

The deal on Palau is looking as screwed up as the one on Bermuda. Obama's Gitmo screw ups just keep mounting and he is looking more desperate and ridiculous everyday by trying to close Club Gitmo and open Club Palau and Club Bermuda. Perhaps the Bermuda Uighurs can become onion farmers.