EU debates allowing in Guantánamo inmates

[struggle4progress]

Source: The Guardian

Ian Traynor in Brussels
Tuesday 27 January 2009

European governments yesterday took the first steps towards helping Barack Obama to close down Guantánamo Bay, by discussing whether and how EU countries could take in dozens of inmates from the detention camp.

Britain made plain it had "done its bit" and had no intention of accommodating any inmates who were neither British nationals nor residents, but the other 26 governments found themselves in the position of not wanting to say no to Obama, but reluctant to make any commitments.

"There are lots of open questions," an EU foreign minister told the Guardian. "It's clearly not enough that the majority want good political relations with Washington and want to help the Americans" ...

But while the problem was made in America, said Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany's foreign minister, "it is also a question of our credibility, of whether we support the dismantling of this American camp or not" ...

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/27/guantanamo-obama-white-house

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EU divided over taking in detainees when terror camp closes
Stance on Guantanamo set to test relations with Obama administration
By Vanessa Mock in Brussels and Leonard Doyle in Washington
Tuesday, 27 January 2009

... "It's really up to the US to deal with this and give these detainees a fair trial. It's hugely complicated for us to do so," said the Dutch Foreign Minister, Maxime Verhagen, voicing widespread concern about the legal minefield of accepting those of indeterminate status. "Don't forget these inmates are not kittens – it's a risk for us to bring them into Europe" ...

Some countries said the EU had a moral responsibility to play an active role. "We need to shake hands with the US. It is a new fresh start," said Alexander Stubb of Finland, which like France, Portugal, Spain, Ireland and Sweden is considering taking in inmates ...

France pushed for a fact-finding mission to the camp and for the EU to take in at least 60 of the 254 detainees. Its Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, has floated the idea of a centralised system to check prisoner backgrounds but the plan received only a muted response ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/eu-divided-over-taking-in-detainees-when-terror-camp-closes-1516807.html

EU doubts over taking in former Guantánamo prisoners
• Policy chief seeks to help Obama close camp in Cuba
• UK rules out intake and others fear ex-inmates still a danger
Peter Walker, Mark Tran and agencies
Monday 26 January 2009 13.18 GMT

... "This is an American problem and they have to solve it but we'll be ready to help if necessary ... I think the answer of the EU will be yes," <EU foreign policy chief> Javier Solana said before the gathering of European foreign ministers, when asked whether the EU could take some former Guantánamo prisoners ...

Austria's foreign minister, Michael Spindelegger, said yesterday: "The government cannot decree to take on people, that would be a breach of our legal system and would have fatal consequences. We have a clear legal situation: you can either immigrate or ask for asylum. We should stick to that" ...

Solana said that no EU state could act until the Obama administration has the Guantánamo case files in order and can demonstrate that prisoners do not pose credible security risks. A report in the Washington Post said many case files of Guantánamo inmates were in disarray, suggesting that any candidates for resettlement in Europe could be months away from security vetting.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/26/eu-guantanamo-inmates-offer

EU foreign ministers fail to reach common position on Guantanamo
www.chinaview.cn 2009-01-27 03:21:01

... Also speaking at the press conference, European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner said that Guantanamois an issue for individual EU member state, but "at the same time, we would like to see some EU platform for a common response."

Describing the issue as "very delicate and sensitive," Waldner said that the ministers would have to discuss during their next meeting on the next moves ...

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/27/content_10723595.htm

[Captain Needa]

1. I've got absolutely no problem with taking those prisoners

to my hometown prison. We've dealt with terror attacks before and I must say that US overreacted like twelve years olds. Instead of acknowledging it for it really was, a criminal act, they unleashed a global war like if they were back in Pearl Harbor in 1941. You don't want them? Fine, send'em here and we'll take care of them, but only those who are actually guilty of terrorism based on actual evidence in a fair trial, all others should be released immediately, offered compensations and sent to the country of their choice.

[EFerrari]

4. It's not a matter of overreacting. Cheney and Rumsfeld needed to promote

the idea that we were in terrible dangerou so they could empty our treasury into their own pockets and they were very successful.

And like you, I'm extremely skeptical about this discussion that focuses on where these people will be imprisoned before it's even clear that any of them are guilty. We know most of them are not.

[Sultana]

5. Thx for the broad brush

:eyes:

[dipsydoodle]

2. I don't really see any issues

with them all coming into the EU as there's no real difference between those suspected of whatever and those already here of whom we have no current knowledge anyway.

[winter999]

3. Why can't they just go home to their loved ones?

Get a job, earn a living, etc.? These guys haven't done anything wrong, right? So why can't they go home?

[Sultana]

6. I was wondering about that too

So many lives fucked up by * and company.