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TweetI don’t see what the problem is, as the Euros have been bringing in terrorists all across Eurabia for the last decade. The proof is in London on 7/7/05, in Madrid on 3/11/04, in Glasgow last year, in Richard Reid’s shoebomb scheme, the annual muslim riots in France, and in the dozens of gang rapes and attacks by muslims on European teenagers. Not to mention the shariah courts in the Untied Kingdumb, and the no-go zones for kuffar in Denmark, Holland, and France.
Europe cautious on resettling Gitmo detainees
PARIS: Europe reacted cautiously yesterday to the idea of resettling terror suspects released from Guantanamo Bay, with some countries seeking a concerted European approach and others already opposed to the idea.
The Netherlands went furthest, ruling out accepting any newly freed inmates, despite broad European support for US president elect Barack Obama’s promise to shut down the notorious military detention centre.
“If they are not to be tried but cannot return to their own countries, it is first and foremost the responsibility of the country which arrested and imprisoned them, the United States,” a Dutch foreign ministry spokesman said.
“The Netherlands will not take in Guantanamo inmates.”
Portugal and Germany previously signalled they might accept detainees, but France was cautious, welcoming the camp’s imminent closure, but calling for a common European position.
“We think consultation between Europeans should continue because we think it is natural that our response should be discussed and coordinated between Europeans,” French foreign ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier said. Germany had previously made a similar announcement.
“In our view Guantanamo must be closed on legal and humanitarian grounds, in terms of international law and human rights, and for moral reasons,” German government spokesman Thomas Steg said Monday.
“If we begin to review such closure plans and take a stance, then it can only be in a European context based on a discussion with all member states.”
Obama has promised to close the detention facility—part of a sovereign US naval base on Cuba—after taking office next month, raising the question of what to do with the remaining 250 inmates. Some of the prisoners, alleged “enemy combattants” captured since 2001 by US and allied forces around the world during the so-called War on Terror, are no longer considered a threat by US authorities and will be resettled. The prisoners come from various countries, mostly in the Middle East, and some may want to go home. Others face renewed arrest in their homelands and could face torture or lengthy incarcerations. Britain has taken charge of nine detainees who are British nationals and four British residents, and said yesterday it would consider any more US requests on a case by case basis.
Washington on Tuesday welcomed signals from Germany and Portugal that they might help, raising the possibility that other European allies might provide asylum for former detainees.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack on Tuesday said reports Europe might accept inmates were “quite encouraging” and marked “a new attitude” from allies who rejected similar requests by President George W Bush. He named Germany and Portugal, whose foreign minister, Luis Amado, called on his European Union counterparts this month to help the United States close Guantanamo by taking in detainees from third countries.
“Portugal and Foreign Minister Luis Amado should be praised for what they have done in, sort of, blazing a trail for a new European attitude in this regard,” McCormack said.
Nevertheless, aside from Portugal, Europe appears cool on the idea. “For Sweden, the United States has the responsibility for their prisoners,” Swedish foreign ministry spokeswoman Miriam Mannbro said. Media reports suggest Denmark will refuse any US request, and Poland and Spain were dubious. “… We haven’t the experience to deal with this kind of prisoners,” Polish foreign ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski said. France holds the European Union’s rotating presidency, but will hand the torch to the Czech Republic next week. Officials indicated no joint decision on Guantanamo detainees would be taken beforehand.
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