Kevin Rudd may take Guantanamo Bay inmates
Sid Maher
The Australian
December 27, 2008
KEVIN Rudd has left open the possibility of Australia taking former inmates from the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, but warned that any US request for an inmate to come would be subject to legal criteria and assessed on a case-by-case basis.
As the Greens warned the Prime Minister he faced a political backlash if he accepted detainees held in the US military jail at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, a spokesman for Mr Rudd confirmed that US authorities had approached Australia and other countries about resettling the detainees.
"Australia, along with a number of other countries, has been approached to consider resettling detainees from Guantanamo Bay," the Prime Minister's spokesman said.
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"Any determination for an individual to come to Australia would be made on a case-by-case basis. All persons accepted to come to Australia would have to meet Australia's strict legal requirements and go through the normal and extremely rigorous assessment processes."
The Australian reported yesterday that the US State Department had over the past 12 months cabled more than 100 countries seeking help to clear out Guantanamo Bay.
The incoming administration of Barack Obama, which plans to shut the facility within two years, is expecting help in resettling more than 250 detainees still held at Guantanamo Bay.
About 60 detainees have been cleared for release by US authorities but are unable to return to their homelands because they fear retribution.
Greens senator Rachel Siewert told The Weekend Australian Guantanamo Bay was a creation of the US Government and was therefore Washington's problem. She said the Prime Minister should refuse to take any detainees.
"It's something they should be dealing with on home soil," she said. "We understand some can't go back to their homelands, but in those instances the US Government should be helping them within America."
Guantanamo Bay was opened in 2002 as a way of holding detainees caught in the war on terror beyond the reach of the US courts, where civilian rules for detention would apply.
Some European countries, keen to improve relations with the US, are understood to have said they are willing to help with resettling the detainees.
Germany and Portugal have acknowledged they were considering taking detainees, but The Netherlands has ruled out taking any, arguing it is the responsibility of the country that imprisoned them.
While some inmates are al-Qa'ida linchpins such 9/11 plotter Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, others have been held for years without charge or trial and without presenting any threat to the US or the West.
Australian David Hicks was held there for five years before being convicted last year of providing material support for terrorism. He was returned to Australia to serve nine months' jail before being released and placed under a control order, which expired last weekend.
Another Australian, Mamdouh Habib, was released from Guantanamo Bay without charge in 2005.
Mr Obama & Mr Rudd, Sydney already has, in the south west, entire suburbs occupied (Sydney's "occupied territories") by Islamic terrorists their sympathysers and facilitators, Islamic gang rapists,Islamic murderers and bash artists,Islamic drug distribution and car rebirthing networks.
Many would say that Australia hating Muslim terrorists are just what the Australian Labor Party thinks Australia needs more of as it is consistant with their policy of divide and conquer the Australian people via their disgraced Multiculturalism policy.
The federal opposition leader, Malcolm Turnbull should make this latest planed attack upon Australia by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) as the line in the sand,and say loud and clear now that the ALP's policy of going soft on terrorists,terrorism and illegal entrants will be totally demolished upon the election of a Trunbull led federal Liberal Government.
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