Posted on 01/23/2010 1:35:14 AM PST by James C. Bennett
SYDNEY — Australia was considering a fresh request from the United States to resettle a group of inmates from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, officials said Saturday.
"Australia has received another request from the United States and the matter is being considered," a foreign affairs spokeswoman told AFP.
Canberra has already rebuffed at least three such requests -- two from the administration of former US president George W Bush -- and a third received last May from President Barack Obama.
The spokeswoman said the latest request came in "late 2009" but she could not comment on specifics or confirm how many such advances the US had made.
"The Australian government will consider requests on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the government's strict immigration and national security requirements," she said.
According to local press the May request involved six men from China's Turkic-speaking Uighur minority, who were resettled in the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau after Australia refused to take them.
Palau is a former US-administered territory which relies heavily on US aid, and its president, Johnson Toribiong, in November said Beijing may have pressured Australia not to take the six.
The United States refused to send the men back to China -- which expressed anger over their release, describing them as terrorist suspects -- for fear they would be persecuted.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
WTH?
What is the stated reason for not keeping Gitmo intact?
The rest of the world has been told it’s scarrrry? Amazing.
It’s in the last line of the article, but I couldn’t post it in the main article without violating FR’s excerpt limitation guidelines.
Here it is:
“The Obama administration is trying to close the controversial centre, partly by seeking third countries prepared to take in some of the detainees. Obama’s self-imposed January 22 closure deadline passed unmet Friday.”
What a boob we have in the White House.
It’s perfect for Muzzie jehadis, all year-round!
We should pick up on that stupid Jane Hartman’s plea to transfer Gitmo detainees.
We’ll give her all the porkulus money she needs to build a new prison and staff it with the toughest guards.
The only condition is that the prison is next door to her house. Let’s hear her pleas then.
Some people are born stupid; others work at it all their lives.
"Tell him he's dreaming"
What about Bikini Atoll...I hear it is wonderful this time of year.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.