Gitmo inmates face tug of war
Güncelleme Tarihi:
AFP
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 24, 2009 00:00
PARIS - President Barack Obama was widely hailed for moving to restore the U.S.'s "moral authority" Friday by ordering a halt to torture and the closure of Guantanamo prison, as its inmates became the focus of a tug of war.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called the decisions "extremely encouraging" while the Czech presidency of the EU praised the move to close Guantanamo as "symbolic and practical."
Closing a dark chapter
Amnesty International chief Irene Khan said Obama's order was "an important step in the right direction" and would be "closing a dark chapter" in U.S. history. Human Rights Watch said Obama had taken "a major step toward restoring America's moral authority around the world."
But Obama's signing of the Guantanamo closure order on Thursday, his second day in office, also raised awkward questions about what to do about the 245 inmates still behind bars. His administration already has to fend off an immediate demand by Beijing that 17 Chinese prisoners be handed over.
An Obama administration official played down any prospect of the group of ethnic Uighurs being returned home amid fears that they would be ill-treated. While France, Portugal and Switzerland have already indicated that they would be willing to take in some of the prisoners, other European countries were decidedly cool on the idea.
Asked if Vienna could welcome prisoners, Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger told national radio Oe1: "In my opinion the answer is clear: No." "Whoever causes a problem should also solve it. If they're innocent citizens, there's no reason they shouldn't be given a future in the United States," he added.
Closing a dark chapter
Amnesty International chief Irene Khan said Obama's order was "an important step in the right direction" and would be "closing a dark chapter" in U.S. history. Human Rights Watch said Obama had taken "a major step toward restoring America's moral authority around the world."
But Obama's signing of the Guantanamo closure order on Thursday, his second day in office, also raised awkward questions about what to do about the 245 inmates still behind bars. His administration already has to fend off an immediate demand by Beijing that 17 Chinese prisoners be handed over.
An Obama administration official played down any prospect of the group of ethnic Uighurs being returned home amid fears that they would be ill-treated. While France, Portugal and Switzerland have already indicated that they would be willing to take in some of the prisoners, other European countries were decidedly cool on the idea.
Asked if Vienna could welcome prisoners, Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger told national radio Oe1: "In my opinion the answer is clear: No." "Whoever causes a problem should also solve it. If they're innocent citizens, there's no reason they shouldn't be given a future in the United States," he added.