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UK reiterates willingness to consider US request to accept Guantanamo detainees

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] UK Justice Minister Jack Straw said Monday that his country would still be willing to consider a US request to take in terrorism detainees held by at the Guantanamo Bay detention center, if doing so would aid in the closure of the facility. Speaking at a meeting with his US counterpart, Attorney General Eric Holder, Straw said that the UK would consider any request made by the administration of US President Barack Obama to take in Guantanamo detainees, in order to support Obama's decision to close the controversial facility. However, Holder said that no such request has been made. Obama's order directed that the military prison be closed "as soon as practicable, and no later than 1 year from the date of this order." The order did not specify where detainees would go upon release, but did call for diplomatic efforts with foreign states in order to facilitate the closure of the facility. Earlier this month, France agreed to accept one Guantanamo detainee. Last month, top officials from the Obama administration met with leaders from the European Union (EU) to discuss plans to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees to European countries. Individual member states have also indicated their openness to accepting detainees, including Lithuania, Ireland, Germany, and Portugal. Other states have expressed reservations about accepting detainees, including Poland and Spain, while Italy and the Netherlands have said they will not accept detainees. In January it was reported that the British government was preparing to take in Guantanamo detainees after officials said in December that they might be wililng to consider detainees on a case by case basis.VOTE FOR JURIST JURIST is nominated for a 2009 Webby Award as best Law website. Please vote for us here!

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on April 28, 2009 (boomark / email).