Detainees were low level fighters with no operational functionality in Al-Qaeda – Hanna Tetteh
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mrs Hannah Tetteh has said the two detainees of Guantanamo who have been sent to Ghana were merely “foot soldiers” of Al-Qaeda with no potential danger to Ghana.
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In a radio interview on Radio Gold Tuesday morning, the Minister the two had no role in the operational functionality in the terrorist group.
Mahmoud Omar Mohammed Bin Atef,36, and Khalid Shayk Mohammed, 34 are in Ghana have been sent to by the US government following a decision by Ghana to host. They will be in Ghana for two years after which they may choose to leave or stay.
Many individual Ghanaians and institutions including the Catholic Bishops Conference, Christian Council of Ghana and political parties have condemned the move by government to accept the terrorists in Ghana.
Government has explained they pose no threat to the country as the US will help provide the necessary security support to monitor them.
According Hannah Tetteh although Ghanaians have the right to raise concerns about their presence in the country, they should be rest assured that government has the situation under control.
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“…They were low level fighters with no operational functionality in Al-Qaeda...to put it in simple terms, they were foot soldiers of AI Qaeda… captured in the early days and put behind bars for 14 years,” she explained.
She dismissed suggestions that the matter should have been referred to parliament before accepting them.
“...There is no legal requirement to do so, we have an executive presidency…..issues pertaining to national security are not discussed on the streets and on the floor of the house…it is in the interest of Ghanaians that such matters are not discussed in the open”.
