George W Bush knew that hundreds of detainees held at Guantánamo Bay were innocent - but covered the fact up for political reasons, a top former aide has told a U.S. court.
Retired Army Col. Lawrence B. Wilkerson, who served as chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, testified that officials 'knew that they had seized and were holding innocent men at Guantanamo Bay'.
'I discussed the issue of the Guantánamo detainees with Secretary Powell,' he said. 'I learnt that it was his view that it was not just Vice-President [Dick] Cheney and [Defense] Secretary [Donald] Rumsfeld, but also President Bush who was involved in all of the Guantánamo decision making.'
'They knew and they covered it up': Former U.S. President George Bush, right, and his Vice President Dick Cheney, left (file photo)
Former U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, left, also knew about the detainees' innocence, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, right, is said to have believed
'They simply refused to release them out of fear of political repercussions,' he continued.
Colonel Wilkerson heaped most of his criticism on the heads of of Mr Rumsfeld and Mr Cheney, saying they knew that the majority of the 742 detainees sent to Guantánamo in 2002 were not guilty of any crimes.
His assertion is understood to have been backed by General Powell, the Times has reported.
General Powell left the Bush administration in 2005 in anger over the false information that he unknowlingly used to make the case for the war in Iraq.
Parts of the document were quoted by the Associated Press, while further quotes - including the Bush quote - emerged in the Times, which said it had obtained a copy.
Cover-up: Detainees in Guantánamo Bay (file photo)
The declaration emerged after a Sudanese worker freed from Guantánamo in 2007 sued the U.S. government...
