MALAYSIA SEEKS INFO ON TWO GUANTANAMO DETAINEES

By Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, Jan 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is seeking permission from the United
States government to allow its police officers to meet two Malaysians being held
at the controversial Guantanamo military prison whose closure was ordered by
President Barack Obama, said Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi.

He said Malaysia would like to know what would happen to its two nationals
who were among about 250 inmates of Guantanamo, many of whom have been held for
years without trial.

"If possible, we'd like to bring both of them home so that they could
continue to serve their sentences in Malaysia," he told Malaysian journalists
covering his visit to the United Arab Emirates here Thursday.

Abdullah lauded the decision by the new American president to close down the
facility in Guantanamo, Cuba, within a year.

"President Obama's decision must have gone down well with many countries and
Malaysia too is happy because he has fulfilled his promise," he said.

Besides closing the Guantanamo prison, Obama also ordered a halt to harsh
interrogation of terrorism suspects as he sought to restore the US image abroad.