Ireland to accept 2 Guantanamo Detainees ( NYTimes) -- Irish Media Watch Message Board

Monday, December 28, 2009 04:08:15pm Ireland Time [ VoyUser Login optional ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 13:05:36 08/18/09 Tue GMT
Author: Lynn
Subject: Ireland to accept 2 Guantanamo Detainees ( NYTimes)

July 30, 2009
Ireland to Accept Two Guantánamo Detainees
By ALAN COWELL

PARIS — With the Obama administration struggling to fulfill a pledge to close the Guantánamo Bay detention center in Cuba, the Irish justice minister said Wednesday that his country would accept two prisoners for resettlement.

President Obama, who pledged to close the camp by January, has urged other countries to help by taking detainees for resettlement. But the idea has proved to be unpopular with America’s European allies, including those who called for the camp to be closed. In April, President Nicolas Sarkozy said France would accept one prisoner. Mr. Obama said last month that Italy agreed to take three.

The Irish minister, Dermot Ahern, said the decision followed a visit to the camp last week by Irish officials, according to a statement issued by the Justice Ministry. There were reports that the two detainees to be sent to Ireland are Uzbek citizens.

Statement by Dermot Ahern T.D. Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern TD, has confirmed that following his receipt of a report on the visit to Washington and Guantanamo by a group of officials last week, he had decided to accept two detainees for resettlement in Ireland.

He confirmed this position today at a meeting in Dundalk with the new American Ambassador, Mr Dan Rooney.

The Minister said "During my time as Minister for Foreign Affairs, I was the first EU Minister to call for the closure of the detention facility. The Government has consistently called for its closure since then. In making this decision I am conscious of the intention of the United States to close the centre at Guantanamo Bay, in part by transferring detainees, no longer regarded as posing a threat to security but who cannot return to their own countries, to other countries willing to accept them."

The Minister said that the European Union Member States had agreed arrangements last month concerning monitoring etc. of former detainees accepted by Member States for resettlement and said that Ireland would be complying with those arrangements.

The Minister said that, while the two men being accepted by Ireland were not being admitted as refugees within the meaning of the Geneva Convention he intended to adhere to the norms of official procedure in respecting the rights of the two men to their privacy. There would not therefore be public disclosure of any personal information, family situations etc. nor would details of the arrangements for travel to Ireland be made public.

While a definite timetable has yet to be established, the transfer of the two detainees is expected within the next couple of months.

The Minister asked people to acknowledge the difficult conditions in which the two men had been detained for a number of years and to allow them time and space to adjust to their new circumstances when they arrive.

29 July 2009

Copyright 2009 The New York Times Compa

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-8
VF Version: 2.94, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums^(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2008 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.