Americans worry Cameron wouldn't accept Gitmo suspects too

A Foreign Office statement, put out last night by the Press Association, confirms that the FCO expect Britain to step in to help the US close Guantanamo Bay by accepting foreign detainees. A spokesman said:

We recognise the US will require assistance from allies and partners to shut the camp

We've also had some indication on how the government would will attempt to play the decision in the public arena. Apparently would compare any new arrivals to the non-British citizens who were arrived back in Britain last year "who we were not really legally obliged to take". So it's happened before, and there's nothing unusual about it. Not sure a lot of people - including those who have already commented on TimesOnline [the first post says "this is crazy, I don't believe it] - will see it that way.

Over on the American CBS network website,

If the Conservative party were to come to power, it's very unclear whether would-be Prime Minister David Cameron (at left) would share Brown's apparent enthusiasm for helping Obama out of his jam.

The Tories have asked for urgent clarification this morning of what's going on, but no put down no definitive suggestion of where they stand. The CBS comment perhaps ignores the fact the issue would likely have to be settled this year, where there is no anticipated general election. What happens after this is, like so much else, unclear.

Comments

[Straight Talk, South Yorkshire, Britain]

Quite simply the message from the Conservatives should be clear and unequivocal :

Britain must not accept any of these people.

The fact that some people who were originally held in Guantanamo and released went on to be come suicide bombers.

The risks are too high and Britian must now put its citizens first and not indulge itself in vague concepts of Human trights about non British citizens

[Alloy Chang]

If the George Bush and his cronies are so keen to rid themselves of the inmates but don't want them on the mainland then why don't they just relinquish "ownership" of Guantanamo Bay to the detainees and then retreat back to where they came from.
Better still surrender the place to the Cubans subject to the right of the inmates to live there in harmony for the rest of their lives.

[Edward Brookes]

"The fact" is that only one releasee is claimed to have become a suicide bomber and even that has not been verified. Just because Dick Cheney claims such things does not make it "a fact".

In comparison a large number of those released have been declared non-combatants by the USA itself. If there is any evidence against these people lets throw the book at them. Otherwise they should be released.

[dee]

We must not accept these people with the extended families they will bring with them remember if they come here we the taxpayers will have to pay for them also our soldiers which they tried to kill will have to pay for them this country is in a form of MADNESS it must stop

[dee]

We must not accept these people with the extended families they will bring with them remember if they come here we the taxpayers will have to pay for them also our soldiers which they tried to kill will have to pay for them this country is in a form of MADNESS it must stop

[JayTee]

Why doesn't the good ol' US of A bring them ashore, put them on trial (if there's a credible case against them), jail those convicted and and let the rest go free. Isn't the US bound by the same human rights laws as the UK? What's teh UK's concern in this (except to support the trials)?

[tone]

this is george bush's mess and he has to take responsibility for it. if brown accepts any people from it there will be a huge backlash. we haven't forgot the london bombings.

[David]

Why cant the US simply dump these folks back where they were originaly picked up? I'm sure they will find a ready welcome in Afghanistan, Iraq etc.

[Winston Smith]

So hold on a minute....
The UK is not allowed to expel Islamic terrorists but we have to allow them in?
We have around 4+ million(not 1.8million as the government predicts) Muslims in the UK. At least 60% of them want Islamisation of the UK and are sympathetic to the Islamist cause. Our government is allowing 5k Pakistani Halal butchers into the UK with their families even though we are supposed to have changed to a points based entry scheme that they do not pass.
We are importing Saudi Arabian Wahabism and the government does nothing. And now we are going to allow terrorists into the UK from Guantanamo Bay?
Who really British wants to live here anymore? I certainly don't. Is this all part of the government's plan to remove British people from the UK and build a new multicultural paradise doomed to all out future war as cultures start fighting one another for supremacy(No doubt Islam will be winner there).

This is madness.
Then again our society deserves the government they vote in. If the UK is to fall unto a quagmire of Islamic terrorism and chaos, then you have yourselves to blame and not the government. Why? You voted them in to reap this destruction of your culture. Do something about it and vote them out. And I suggest also not voting for the Conservatives or the Liberals. They are no different to NuLabour and will continue the destruction of the UK. There will be only one benefit and that will be to the newly elected government members whose wages and perks will go up drastically.

[erica]

You can be absolutely sure that they will be better treated by the British Government than our own servicemen.Thats Labour.

[rick]

Nu labours UK
The dustbin of the west...

[LaurieMac]

Why can't the inmates be sent back to their own countries?

[paul nosworthy]

there should be the biggest mass demonstration on the streets of this country against allowing these people into this country thats ever been before, This should happen sooner rather then later before they become a burden to the british taxpayer.

[Straight Talk, South Yorkshire, Britain]

"The fact" is that only one releasee is claimed to have become a suicide bomber and even that has not been verified. Just because Dick Cheney claims such things does not make it "a fact

Posted by: Edward Brookes | 1 Jan 2009 14:38:49

So what do you see as being the benefit to Britain of bringing some of these people here. Please elaborate ? No doubt you'll be offering to accodomate 1 or 2 of them?

[carlyle]

never ever thought I would say it ,but I cant wait until we have a BNP government.
just to end this lunancy.

[Dave]

No uk or non uk nationals caught fighting UK forces should be returned here. To accept such individuals constitutes a threat to our security and is a gross and blatant infringement of my human rights

[Winston Smith]

Carlyle,

I think you are not alone in your views. I think the UK is about to get a shock come next election. I also do not think that Conservatives will get the votes they are hoping for from disgruntled inhabitants of the UK. Many are realising that it will be the same old, same old with the tories, who incidentally set the ball rolling in the destruction of the UK.

[roberto]

They should be allowed in to become investment advisors to the Church of England. They look like enviromentalists and the Archbisop needs advice.

[Steven]

Has this loathsome Government any regard whatsoever for us?

[Martyn Chapman]

This is the fruits of madness. It is not our problem and these people have no right to come here. Let them settle in Texas!

[ELI SORDO]

What is to happen to the prisoners in prisons across the globe?

[Matt]

Of course the UK govt in its Obama love-fest will seek to help him in any way it can...

But taking in terrorists into the UK (when we are struggling to expell -any- of the ones in our midst already!?) is sheer madness!!

At least I hope they target Parliment rather than the rest of us first..!
(fat chance of that, the politicians in this country look after themselves!).

The conservatives should unequivically state that they will NOT accept any non-UK nationals, and will push forward laws to deport any such people in the future.

[mattbramall]

I can't belive that this negative response. The fact of the matter is that there is no evidence whatsoever that those being held in guantanamo represent a threat to our country, otherwise they would have been tried. (Of course they may be so inclined now having been treated so cruelly for years for no reason, but that is not something we should assume)

Secondly, if those of you who agree with the infantile suggestion that we should not take those released due to the 'them coming over ere and taking our taxes' argument stopped to think for a second of the amount of taxes so few people would require and how desperately they require it, and compare that with how much tax money is spent on phony wars then you might get a little perspective on the matter.

I am franly disgusted that so many British people can so completely lack compassion, understanding.

[mattbramall]

And Dave, if you could tell me exactly which human right is grossly and blantantly infringed by allowing people who aren't terrorists into the country, it would be appreciated.

[Dave]

Suggest we house em on HMP Rockall