Guantanamo closure 'forged closer EU-US links

Europe and America are forging an even closer relationship following the decision to close Guantanamo Bay, the European Commission’s top justice and security official said today.

Jonathan Faull was speaking after Europe’s foreign ministers approved a joint EU-US declaration backing the closure of the controversial terrorist detention centre.

It stated: “The EU and its member states wish to help the US turn the page”.

President Barack Obama wants to see a practical expression of that help, in the form of more EU offers to speed Guantanamo’s closure by taking in some of the detainees.

The UK has already taken 14 with UK rights of residence. France has taken seven, Belgium two and Germany one. But some countries are reluctant to take any, and Mr Faull, Director-General of the Commission’s Justice, Freedom and Security department, insisted today such decisions would be entirely for national governments.

Washington has said it may help cover costs, and it will provide full information about the detainees, which will be shared amongst EU member states.

Mr Faull commented: “We expect the US to take its responsibilities seriously and we have every confidence that the US will share all the information: it is in Washington’s interests to do so because only then will EU countries be prepared to take in the people concerned.”

He said it was up to individual EU countries to decide their policy – and there was no question of other EU governments having a veto on national decisions about which detainees, if any, to take.

He added: “We are talking about people in principle cleared for release under the US system, and against whom no prosecution is planned.”

Mr Faull said EU-US relations and cooperation had always been strong, but the closure of Guantanamo, by January 22 next year at the latest, marked a new stage.

He said: “We have the beginnings of a burgeoning new relationship. At all levels, presidential, ministerial and working level, there is a renewed commitment from the US side to work in true partnership with us.

“We are committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring respect for human rights. We have many of the same (security) concerns and we are moving closer together in finding the most appropriate ways of dealing with them.”

Today’s declaration welcomed an American commitment to “develop a new and more sustainable approach to security-related issues”.

And, on the US side, it committed Washington to provide all available information and intelligence – confidential or otherwise – about any of the detainees that EU governments are willing to take in.

Some member states are still reluctant, including the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, where the government has opposed taking any of them, on the grounds that Washington opened the camp and should take responsibility for those it incarcerated.

Other EU governments are prepared to take only those detainees with existing rights of residence, or origins in that country.

But Mr Faull today pointed out the precedent set by the Church of the Nativity siege in Bethlehem in 2002.

After the siege ended, 13 Palestinian gunmen were taken in by Belgium, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy and Portugal as part of an EU-brokered peace deal.

He made clear Europe’s willingness to help Washington complete Guantanamo’s closure was an early test of the EU’s pledge to forge a closer US relationship.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso tonight issued a statement urging EU governments to do what they can.

“While closing the detention facility is primarily the responsibility of the US, I believe that the EU can and must help the US administration in successfully completing this difficult task.” he said.

“As far as future co-operation is concerned, there is a real willingness to engage in a partnership of equals in dealing with matters of security. The joint statement records the will of the EU and the US to continue our dialogue on the principles of international law relevant to the fight against terrorism, and launch a renewed EU-US Justice and Home Affairs relationship based on more like-minded and reciprocal co-operation, for the benefit of our citizens and the whole international community.”