GOF RESPONDS NEGATIVELY TO UIGHER RESETTLEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 008683 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2015 TAGS: PREL PTER FR KAWC PHUM PREF SUBJECT: GOF RESPONDS NEGATIVELY TO UIGHER RESETTLEMENT DEMARCHE REF: A. PARIS 8426 ¶B. SECSTATE 219150 Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, FOR REAS ONS 1.4 B/D (C) In a diplomatic note to the DCM dated December 22 and signed by Pierre Vimont, Foreign Minister Douste-Blazy's chief of staff, the French Foreign Ministry responded negatively to ref B demarche requesting that the GOF accept a number of Uighers currently held at Guantanamo. Informal translation follows: Mr. Minister: By your December 13 letter, you shared with me the request from your authorities to resettle Uigher detainees from Guantanamo in France. After an examination of the information which you transmitted to me, I can confirm that, unfortunately, it will not be possible to respond favorably to your demand. Complementary closing Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton