January 03, 2009
AUSTRALIA will not take any former inmates of the US' Guantanamo Bay detention centre, acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.
Ms Gillard said the Federal Government advised the US late night that Australia would refuse the American request.
It was the second time the administration of US President George W. Bush had asked Australia to resettle detainees from the War on Terror camp.
"We have considered that request and last night Australian time, Friday US time, we advised the US Government that we would not be agreeing to those resettlement requests," Ms Gillard said.
"Those resettlement requests were considered on a case by case basis against Australia's stringent national security and immigration criteria.
"Assessing those requests on a case by case basis (they) have not met those stringent national security and immigration criteria and have been rejected.
"(As) for the future, we will consider any future requests on a case by case basis against these stringent criteria for both national security and immigration."
She said both requests had been made by the administration of George W. Bush, not of US President-elect Barack Obama.
The second request came as incoming Mr Obama plans to shut the prison, located at a US sovereign naval base in Cuba, within two years.
The US has cleared about 60 Guantanamo Bay detainees for release, but they cannot be returned to their home nations due to security concerns.
Yesterday, Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull called on the Federal Government to resist the US request.
The Times of London reported this week that Britain was preparing to take detainees to allow Mr Obama's Government to shut down the prison.
AUSTRALIA will not take any former inmates of the US' Guantanamo Bay detention centre, acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.
Ms Gillard said the Federal Government advised the US late night that Australia would refuse the American request.
It was the second time the administration of US President George W. Bush had asked Australia to resettle detainees from the War on Terror camp.
"We have considered that request and last night Australian time, Friday US time, we advised the US Government that we would not be agreeing to those resettlement requests," Ms Gillard said.
"Those resettlement requests were considered on a case by case basis against Australia's stringent national security and immigration criteria.
"Assessing those requests on a case by case basis (they) have not met those stringent national security and immigration criteria and have been rejected.
"(As) for the future, we will consider any future requests on a case by case basis against these stringent criteria for both national security and immigration."
She said both requests had been made by the administration of George W. Bush, not of US President-elect Barack Obama.
The second request came as incoming Mr Obama plans to shut the prison, located at a US sovereign naval base in Cuba, within two years.
The US has cleared about 60 Guantanamo Bay detainees for release, but they cannot be returned to their home nations due to security concerns.
Yesterday, Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull called on the Federal Government to resist the US request.
The Times of London reported this week that Britain was preparing to take detainees to allow Mr Obama's Government to shut down the prison.
Source: The Australian
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