Vexed Bermoothes

The Premier this morning announced that Bermuda has agreed to resettle four newly-released prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay prison.

The Uighurs, a Turkic Muslim minority from the Xinjiang province of far-west China, were living in the Tora Bora mountains in Afghanistan run by the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, a Uighur independence group the State Department designated as terrorist three years after their capture. Evidence indicates that some of the Uighurs intended to fight the Chinese government and received firearms training at the camp.  They fled to Pakistan after U.S. airstrikes destroyed their camp after September 11, 2001 and were turned over to the U.S. military and detained as “enemy combatants” though they had no apparent animus towards the U.S.

There had been plans to relocate the Uighurs to Virginia, which were shelved after intense opposition in Congress.  Instead they will be naturalised in Bermuda and given the opportunity to get full Bermudian status.

That’s right.  All you expats who contribute for years to Bermuda’s community and economy, term limits for you and don’t let the door hit you on the ass when you leave.

But come on down you Xinjiang Uigher suspected terrorists … you’ll fit right in!  Hey bye, your people are from St David’s right?

Now, Dr. Brown is the master at creating diversions whenever he gets in hot water politically.  This is the mother of all crazed diversions.   Seriously, WTF?

Just yesterday, Paula Cox made a strange comment in the press about not wanting Bermuda to sound like a suck up.  Perhaps she was referring to this.

The key question is:  What did we trade for doing this? What deals were made? How does this fit in Bermuda’s national priorities?

Did we get money to fill some of the big gaps in Bermuda’s coffers?  (News reports say that Palau is getting $200 million for taking 17 of the Uighers).

Are we counting them as air arrivals for Tourism?

Does he think this is cheap PR – getting Bermuda’s name in the news worldwide? Americans, come to Bermuda for some Pop and Sizzle!  And Boom!

Or is this the new tagline for the Department of Tourism:  Better than Gitmo!

The Chinese Government is pissed off about this, presumably finally killing off Dr. Brown’s dubious plans to develop a Chinese tourism business (as well as dinging the aspirations of Bermuda international companies that do business in China).  The ramifications will be interesting.

Hey maybe the US will stop hassling us about all the piddly tax stuff?  In which case, you can expect Cayman to adopt a bunch of Afghans any minute.

I think negative diplomatic problems for Bermudians, who travel widely, are inevitable.

The decision still must have sign off by the UK via the Bermuda Governor.  They must be scratching their heads.  Perhaps this is another stab by the Premier to create a constitutional crisis should the UK overrule the move.  You see, the Doc is supposed to make decisions impacting foreign policy and security in concert with Government House.  Technically, he had no right to do this without consultation.  Same old loose cannon.

Don’t stop the carnival.  And Bermuda’s governance is a constant circus.  Our political leaders are addicted to high profile grandstanding … look at me look at me, the flair o’ the day … but have little time or ability for the details of running a local government well.