Obama administration tries to block court review in case of 5 ethnic Chinese Muslims at Gitmo

5 Chinese Muslims at Gitmo seek a better deal

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is seeking to block further court review in the case of five Chinese Muslims held at Guantanamo Bay who want to come to the United States to live.

Before three federal appeals judges, a lawyer for the five ethnic Chinese said Thursday that his clients did not want to be re-settled on the Pacific Ocean island of Palau and that they have a right to have their views taken into account by U.S. courts.

The government says it is trying to find a country that will accept the five, who fear their lives will be endangered if they are returned to China. The Obama administration has declared that the five pose no threat to the United States and should no longer be held as enemy combatants.